What are Black Bean Sauce Noodles?
Korean black bean noodles, also known as Jjajangmyeon, is a popular Korean-Chinese dish in Korea that includes chewy noodles topped with an earthy, savoury black bean sauce.
If you haven’t had black bean sauce before, it can sound a bit strange.
Black bean sauce is made from a fermented soybean paste called Chunjang. You can buy Chunjang at local Asian or Korean supermarkets. But you can’t just use the Chunjang as is and mix it with noodles. There is definitely technique to making black bean noodles that taste similar to the restaurant ones, I’ll share my techniques and tips with you here.
Are you ready to make some delicious korean black bean noodles?
Korean vs Chinese Black Bean Noodles
While both dishes are made from black bean sauce (though using different bean paste), there are some notable differences in taste and texture:
- Korean Jjajangmyeon has a more gloopy, thick black bean sauce. It’s more mild in flavour and slightly sweet.
- Chinese zhazhangmian 炸酱面 is more savoury and thick, there is less liquid and the black bean paste is more salty and dry.
I had the Chinese version in Beijing many years ago, and because the black bean sauce was cooked in lard, it was SO tasty. Probably one of my highlights of the trip!
Both versions are tasty, and I think it’s worth trying both to decide which one you like better!
Tips for a delicious take-out like Jjajangmyeon!
Here are some tips on making Jjajangmyeon that tastes slurp-able, rather than bitter or too earthy!
I’ve made my fair share of Korean black bean noodles over the years, and every time I made it, it tasted bitter and earthy.
I was disappointed because I couldn’t make it taste like the ones from the restaurants.
Until one day, I decided to try a different method. And the taste? it was so much better.
Here are some key tips! Don’t skip this!
- Pan fry the bean paste in oil: This is a must do, do not ever skip this step! On medium low heat, pan fry the bean paste in a lot of oil. Don’t be stingy on the oil – trust me! This step prevents your sauce from tasting bitter.
- Use corn starch to thicken the sauce: to make the sauce stick onto your noodles really well, you can make a corn starch slurry. This consists of simply mixing corn starch and cold water (note: don’t use hot water, must be cold!), then adding this mixture into your sauce. Keep stirring on low heat until the sauce thickens up to your desired consistency.
Are you ready to make delicious black bean noodles?
Black Bean Sauce Instant Noodles (Jjajangmyeon)
Ingredients
Method
- Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add the potatoes, zucchini, carrots and onions. Sauté for 3 minutes on medium heat.
- Push the veggies to the side and make space in the centre of the pan. Add 3 tbsp oil to the centre, fry the black bean paste for 1 minute.
- Add sugar, soy sauce and 3/4 cup of water. Cover and simmer on low heat for 5-6 minutes, until the veggies are soft.
- In a bowl, mix corn starch and 1 tbsp water until smooth to create a slurry.
- Turn up the heat to medium. Pour the corn starch slurry into the sauce, stirring constantly until it thickens into a gravy. It should be glossy. Set aside.
- Cut the cucumber and Korean pickled radish, set aside.
- In a large bowl, cover the udon with boiling water and let it sit for 5-6 minutes, or until soft. If needed, microwave for 1 minute. Drain, leaving 1-2 tbsp hot water.
- Mix the udon noodles with the black bean sauce, then garnish with cucumber and radish. Enjoy!
