Japchae

Japchae

Alternative names	Chop chae Chap chae Jabchae Chapchae
Type	Korean noodles
Place of origin	Korea
Serving temperature	Hot or cold
Main ingredients	Cellophane noodles, sesame oil, vegetables (carrots, onion, spinach, mushrooms)
Cookbook: Japchae  Media: Japchae

Japchae
Hangul	잡채
Hanja	雜菜
Revised Romanization	japchae
McCune–Reischauer	chapch'ae

Japchae, jabchae, chapchae, chop chae, or chap chae (Korean: 잡채) is a Korean dish made from sweet potato noodles (called dangmyeon, Korean: 당면), stir fried in sesame oil with vegetables^[1] (typically thinly sliced carrots, onion, spinach, and mushrooms), sometimes served with beef, and flavoured with soy sauce, and sweetened with sugar. It is usually served garnished with sesame seeds and slivers of chili. It may be served hot or cold.

This dish is served at Korean parties and special occasions,^[1] with seasonal vegetables added.

Japchae is most commonly served as a side dish, though it may be a main dish. It is sometimes served on a bed of rice; with rice it is known as japchae-bap (잡채밥), bap (밥) meaning "rice."

Etymology

The name japchae comprises the two hanja words jap (hangul: 잡, hanja: 雜, literally "mixed and stirred") and chae (hangul: 채, hanja: 菜, literally "vegetables"). Therefore, japchae literally means "a mixture of vegetables."^[2]

History

Japchae was first made in the early 17th century, when the Joseon Dynasty was reigning in the Korean peninsula. When King Gwanghaegun hosted a big party at his palace, one of his lieges, Yi Chung, created this dish to please the king’s palate. The king liked it so much that he rewarded his liege by promoting him to the position of hojo panseo (hangul: 호조판서, hanja: 戶曹判書, equivalent to the Secretary of the Treasury).^[2] At the time, japchae was made without noodles,^[3] and with thinly shredded vegetables and mushrooms, such as cucumber, mu (daikon), and pyogo (shiitake) mushroom. Since the early 20th century, dangmyeon (cellophane noodles made from sweet potato starch) has become an integral and primary ingredient of this variety of japchae.

Types

Varieties without noodles

• Gochu japchae (고추잡채), made with shredded fresh green chili pepper and vegetables
• Buchu japchae (부추잡채), made with Korean chives
• Kongnamul japchae (콩나물잡채), made with kongnamul (soybean sprouts)
• Haemul japchae (해물잡채), made with seafood and vegetables
• Beoseot japchae (버섯잡채), made with mushrooms

Varieties served in Korean royal court cuisine

• Tangpyeongchae (탕평채), made with nokdumuk (mung bean starch jelly), sukjunamul (mung bean sprouts), watercress, red pepper, and various types of seaweed
• Gyeojachae (겨자채)
• Jokchae (족채), made with shredded jokpyeon (cow-hoof jelly) and vegetables
• Wolgwachae (월과채), made with zucchini, beef, pyogo (shiitake), chapssal bukkumi (찹쌀부꾸미, a pan-fried variety of tteok made of glutinous rice flour), and other vegetables.^[4] "Wolgwa" (월과) refers to the Oriental pickling melon (Cucumis melo var. conomon) in Korean language.^[5] Nowadays zucchini has largely replaced wolgwa for making the dish due to the latter vegetable's rarity.

See also

• Chop suey

References

1. "Japchae". Korea Tourism Organization. Retrieved 2013-04-08.
2. 오혜숙 (2006-05-23). 음식이야기 <34> 잡채 (in Korean). 국제신문. Archived from the original on 2008-04-12. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
3. 잡채 (in Korean). Food in Korea. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
4. "Bukkumi 부꾸미" (in Korean). Doosan Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
5. "Wolgwachae 월과채" (in Korean). Doosan Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2008-05-16.

• A Korean mother's cooking notes (unknown binding), by Son-yong Chang ISBN 89-7300-299-6
• 황환영. 잔치음식의 대표, 이것 없으면 섭섭 (in Korean). The Korean Times Daily. Retrieved 2007-11-23.

External links

• Japchae - Official Seoul City Tourism