Japchae

Glassy sweet-potato noodles stir-fried with vegetables and beef, served warm or at room temperature.

Japchae is the dish that signals a celebration: birthdays, holidays, weddings, and ancestral rites almost always have a platter of it. The noodles are dangmyeon, made from sweet potato starch, which stay springy and translucent and carry a sweet-savory glaze of soy sauce and sesame oil. Each vegetable — spinach, carrot, onion, mushroom — is ideally cooked separately so its color and texture stay distinct, which is why a good japchae looks like confetti. Historically it was a royal-court dish made without noodles at all; the glass noodles were added in the 20th century. It's mild, a little sweet, and one of the most universally liked Korean dishes, even among children.