She’d call me over, but I would already be headed that way.
I knew she was making japchae.
She’d extend her hand my way with the first taste of japchae for the holiday.
Photo: Cynthia Christensen
Her fingers would be glistening, the noodles glistening, dotted with sesame seeds and colorful vegetables.
The whole kitchen was heady with the aroma of sesame oil.
With that first bite of japchae, I knew the holiday feasts were starting.
Courtesy Photos
Chuseok is the celebration of the harvest moon and falls right in the middle of the autumn harvest.
Families also visit their ancestors in their burial ground, bringing food and alcohol.
It was on rolling hills off winding paths, so my uncles used sickles to cut the grass.
We did not have lawn mowers anyway.
My mother had a stack of five boxes.
As she opened each layer, all of my favorite Chuseok holiday food would be revealed.
Plus the obligatory layer of rice.
And japchae, of course!
Properly made japchae requires many ingredients and a lot of care.
The vegetables are chosen carefully with color and balance in mind.
They are chopped by hand in uniform thickness, then seasoned and sauteed separately.
They are set aside and cooled separately.
It’s the technique of their hands, a twist of a wrist with so much experience and love.
It’s the final secret, unique ingredient.
The story is that Chung won the favor of King Gwanghaegun with his japchae.
Even Chung’s nickname was Japchae Minister.
What if all politicians were lobbied with homemade food?
Would politics be much more wholesome?)
So when I first encountered japchae out in the wild like that, it baffled me.
Definitely not the japchae my mother would approve of.
But she’d give me first tastes of things, ask for my opinion and take my feedback seriously.
This trust and practice of tasting food seriously played a big role when I was developing as a cook.
All the vegetables are cut, seasoned and cooked separately, with attention to color and texture.
Add noodles and stir to prevent clumping.
Cook until the noodles are tender but still a bit chewy, about 5 minutes.
Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water until the noodles are cooled.
Drizzle the noodles with 2 teaspoons sesame oil and toss to coat.
Using scissors, cut the noodles in half.
Turn the colander 90 degrees and cut the noodles in half again.
Heat a large flat-bottom wok or skillet over high heat.
Place a baking sheet next to the stove.
Add cucumber and cook, stirring frequently, until brightened but still crisp, 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer the cucumber to the baking sheet; spread out evenly to cool.
Cook, stirring, until brightly colored, 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer to the baking sheet.
Add 1 tablespoon canola (or grapeseed) oil to the wok (or pan) and add carrots.
Cook, stirring, until brightly colored, 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer to the baking sheet.
Remove the wok (or pan) from the heat.
Combine fresh mushrooms and rehydrated dried mushrooms in a large bowl.
Drizzle with half of the reserved sauce and toss to coat.
Transfer to the baking sheet.
Repeat with the remaining mushrooms.
Combine the noodles and vegetables in the large bowl.
Add the remaining sauce and toss well.
Garnish with sesame seeds, if desired.
Tips
Dangmyeon are long, chewy, clear noodles made from sweet potato starch.
They are sometimes labeled as japchae, sweet potato, cellophane or glass noodles.
Look for them with other Korean ingredients at well-stocked grocery stores, Asian markets and online.
Korean plum extract (aka plum syrup) is made from fermenting green plums and sugar.
It imparts sweetness and a mildly tangy flavor to dishes it’s used in.
Look for it in Asian markets and online.
To make ginger paste, grate ginger on a microplane or through the smallest holes of a box grater.
Or look for it in bottles or tubes at grocery stores.
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.
