Kalguksu
Encyclopedia
Kalguksu is a Korean noodle dish
consisting of handmade, knife-cut wheat flour noodle
s served in a large bowl with broth and other ingredients. It is traditionally considered a seasonal food
, consumed most often in summer. Its name comes from the fact that the noodles are not extruded or spun, but cut.
era, but the descriptions are vague and the nature of the noodles isn't clear. In the 12th century document Goryeo dogyeong (hangul:고려도경, hanja:高麗圖經) it is mentioned that noodles were only eaten on special occasions, as wheat flour was very expensive, being imported from China. A cooking description can be found in a later document, The Best New Cooking Methods of Joseon (hangul:조선무쌍신식요리제법, hanja:朝鮮無雙新式料理製法), written in 1924. In the 1934 book Simple Joseon Cooking (hangul:, hanja:), the recipe calls for the noodles to be boiled and rinsed in cold water before adding broth and garnish, a method that differs from the modern version of boiling the noodles together with the broth.
for kalguksu is usually made with dried anchovies, shellfish
, and kelp
. Sometimes chicken broth would be used. In order to obtain a rich flavor, the ingredients are simmered for many hours. The noodles and various vegetables, most often zucchini
, potato
es, and scallions are added and boiled together. Usually seasoned with salt, the noodles are served with garnish of choice.
Korean noodles
Korean noodles are noodles or noodle dishes in Korean cuisine and are collectively referred to as "guksu" in native Korean or "myeon" in hanja. Preparations and cooking with noodles are relatively simple, so the history is longer than that of bread, dating back around BCE 6000 to BCE 5000 in China...
consisting of handmade, knife-cut wheat flour noodle
Noodle
The noodle is a type of food, made from any of a variety of doughs, formed into long thin ribbons, strips, curly-cues, waves, helices, pipes, tubes, strings, or other various shapes, sometimes folded. They are usually cooked in a mixture of boiling water and/or oil. Depending upon the type, noodles...
s served in a large bowl with broth and other ingredients. It is traditionally considered a seasonal food
Seasonal Food
Seasonality of food refers to the times of year when a given type food is at its peak, either in terms of harvest or its flavour. This is usually the time when the item is the cheapest and the freshest on the market. The food's peak time in terms of harvest usually coincides with when its flavour...
, consumed most often in summer. Its name comes from the fact that the noodles are not extruded or spun, but cut.
History
The record of noodles can be found in documents of the GoryeoGoryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
era, but the descriptions are vague and the nature of the noodles isn't clear. In the 12th century document Goryeo dogyeong (hangul:고려도경, hanja:高麗圖經) it is mentioned that noodles were only eaten on special occasions, as wheat flour was very expensive, being imported from China. A cooking description can be found in a later document, The Best New Cooking Methods of Joseon (hangul:조선무쌍신식요리제법, hanja:朝鮮無雙新式料理製法), written in 1924. In the 1934 book Simple Joseon Cooking (hangul:, hanja:), the recipe calls for the noodles to be boiled and rinsed in cold water before adding broth and garnish, a method that differs from the modern version of boiling the noodles together with the broth.
Preparation and serving
The noodles are made with dough from wheat flour and eggs, and sometimes ground bean powder is added for texture. The dough is let to breathe, then rolled out thinly and cut in long strips. The brothBroth
Broth is a liquid food preparation, typically consisting of either water or an already flavored stock, in which bones, meat, fish, cereal grains, or vegetables have been simmered. Broth is used as a basis for other edible liquids such as soup, gravy, or sauce. It can be eaten alone or with garnish...
for kalguksu is usually made with dried anchovies, shellfish
Shellfish
Shellfish is a culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some kinds are found only in freshwater...
, and kelp
Kelp
Kelps are large seaweeds belonging to the brown algae in the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera....
. Sometimes chicken broth would be used. In order to obtain a rich flavor, the ingredients are simmered for many hours. The noodles and various vegetables, most often zucchini
Zucchini
The zucchini is a summer squash which often grows to nearly a meter in length, but which is usually harvested at half that size or less. It is a hybrid of the cucumber. Along with certain other squashes, it belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo. Zucchini can be dark or light green...
, potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es, and scallions are added and boiled together. Usually seasoned with salt, the noodles are served with garnish of choice.
Varieties
- Jemul kalguksu (제물칼국수): Noodles are put to a boil with other ingredients in broth, instead of being added later. Both the noodles and broth gain a thick texture.
- Ssook (Mugwort) kalguksu (쑥칼국수): Mugwort is added to the dough when making the noodles. Usually served in anchovy broth.
- Mung beanMung beanThe mung bean is the seed of Vigna radiata. It is native to the Indian subcontinent.-Description:They are small, ovoid in shape, and green in color...
kalguksu (녹두칼국수): Boiled mung beans are crushed, sieved, and added to the noodle dough. - [Hobak [Pumpkin]] kalguksu (호박칼국수): Noodles are cooked with a porridge-like mixture of red beans and rice, and served in a hollowed-out pumpkin. A specialty dish of Chungcheongnam-doChungcheongnam-doChungcheongnam-do or Chungnam is a province in the west of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the south-western half of the former Chungcheong Province and remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, thereafter becoming part of South Korea...
. - Perilla seed kalguksu (들깨칼국수): Finely ground perilla seeds are added to the broth. Seasoned with soy sauceSoy sauceSoy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
and garnished with zucchiniZucchiniThe zucchini is a summer squash which often grows to nearly a meter in length, but which is usually harvested at half that size or less. It is a hybrid of the cucumber. Along with certain other squashes, it belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo. Zucchini can be dark or light green...
and shiitakeShiitakeThe Shiitake is an edible mushroom native to East Asia, which is cultivated and consumed in many Asian countries, as well as being dried and exported to many countries around the world. It is a feature of many Asian cuisines including Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai...
mushrooms. - PheasantPheasantPheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
and buckwheatBuckwheatBuckwheat refers to a variety of plants in the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, the North American genus Eriogonum, and the Northern Hemisphere genus Fallopia. Either of the latter two may be referred to as "wild buckwheat"...
kalguksu (꿩메밀 칼국수): Broth is made from pheasant, and noodles from buckwheat flour.squash]], and later cut to add to the noodles and broth. - [Song-e bosut[Pine mushroom kalguksu (송이버섯칼국수): Pine mushrooms are sliced and added with other vegetables while boiling. A specialty from the GangneungGangneungGangneung is a city in Gangwon-do, on the east coast of South Korea. It has a population of 229,869 . Gangneung is the economic centre of the Yeongdong region of eastern Gangwon Province. Gangneung has many tourist attractions, like Jeongdongjin, one of the most famous towns in Korea...
region. - SnailSnailSnail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...
kalguksu (고둥칼국수): Freshwater snails are boiled and ground into a broth, and noodles are added. - MilletMilletThe millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...
kalguksu (조밥칼국수): A specialty dish from the AndongAndongAndong is a city in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, South Korea. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 in October 2010. The Nakdong River flows through the city...
region, noodles are served with rice made of millet, and ssamSsamSsam, literally meaning "wrapped," refers to a dish in Korean cuisine in which usually leaf vegetables are used to wrap a piece of meat such as pork...
. The noodles are made from a mixture of bean powder and flour. The meal is served with a seasoning sauce made from soy sauceSoy sauceSoy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
, minced garlic, scallions, red chili powder, sesame oilSesame oilSesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. Besides being used as a cooking oil in South India, it is often used as a flavor enhancer in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and to a lesser extent Southeast Asian cuisine.The oil from the nutrient rich seed is popular in alternative...
, and sesame salt. - AndongAndongAndong is a city in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, South Korea. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 in October 2010. The Nakdong River flows through the city...
kalguksu (안동칼국수): Specialty of the AndongAndongAndong is a city in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, South Korea. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 in October 2010. The Nakdong River flows through the city...
region. Ground bean powder is added to the flour when making noodles. The broth is usually made from chicken.
External links
- The information and recipe of Bajirak Kalguksu at mykoreankitchen.com
- Chewy Noodle with Meat Stock, Kalguksu at What's On's Homepage