Nangmyeon

The Hamhung variant of cold noodles — potato-starch noodles with an intensely chewy texture, served bibim-style or with raw fish.

While Pyongyang naengmyeon is celebrated for its buckwheat noodles in a refined icy broth, Hamhung cold noodles — often called nangmyeon in North Korean dialect — stand apart through the use of potato or sweet-potato starch noodles that achieve a near-supernatural level of chewiness. The noodles are so elastic that restaurants traditionally offer scissors, and cutting them is considered not just acceptable but necessary. Hamhung-style noodles are most commonly served bibim-style with a spicy gochujang sauce, or in a distinctive regional version topped with raw fish (hoe naengmyeon) — typically raw skate or flatfish marinated in vinegar and spices. The raw fish adds a pungent, marine complexity that is not for the faint-hearted but is deeply loved by those who grew up with it. South Korean naengmyeon restaurants descended from Hamhung refugees maintain these traditions carefully, and regulars are fiercely loyal to their preferred shop's version of the elastic, fiery, intensely satisfying bowl.