KOREAN HOME COOKING

Memil Guksu (메밀국수): Spicy Cold Buckwheat Noodles

Name: Memil Guksu (메밀국수): Spicy Cold Buckwheat Noodles
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 1 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: Dried buckwheat noodles: 3 1/2 oz (100 g); Cheongyang chiles: 6 (45 g); Yuja marmalade: 2 heaping tbsp (45 g); Fine salt: 1 tbsp (15 g); Tsuyu concentrate: scant 1/2 cup (100 ml); Cold water: scant 1/2 cup (100 ml); Reserved noodle water: scant 1/2 cup (100 ml); Rice vinegar: 1 tbsp (15 ml); Prepared mustard: 1 tsp (5 g); Grated radish: 1/3 cup (60 g)

매콤 냉메밀면 · Maekom Naeng-memilmyeon

Cold buckwheat noodles meet a citrusy Cheongyang chile relish, tsuyu broth, grated radish, and seaweed for a vivid Korean summer bowl.

Total time25 minYield1 servingsDifficultyEasy

Korean spicy cold buckwheat noodles with green chile yuja relish, grated radish, and seaweed

매콤 냉메밀면 · Maekom Naeng-memilmyeon

WHY THIS DISH MATTERS

A little cultural context

Cold noodle dishes are essential Korean summer food. This modern bowl layers Japanese-style tsuyu with Korean yuja-cheong and Cheongyang chile for a distinctly Korean sweet-hot finish.

INGREDIENTS

What you'll need

Both systems are shown so you can cook without converting.

IngredientUSMetric

Dried buckwheat noodles3 1/2 oz100 g

Cheongyang chiles645 g

Yuja marmalade2 heaping tbsp45 g

Fine saltFor the chile relish; use less for table salt1 tbsp15 g

Tsuyu concentratescant 1/2 cup100 ml

Cold waterscant 1/2 cup100 ml

Reserved noodle waterscant 1/2 cup100 ml

Rice vinegar1 tbsp15 ml

Prepared mustard1 tsp5 g

Grated radish1/3 cup60 g

COOKING WEBTOON

Cook it panel by panel

A quick visual memory guide for the whole recipe.

4 cute steps

1
Make the chile-yuja relish
at least 20 minutes
Finely chop the chiles and mix with the yuja marmalade and salt. Rest overnight for the roundest flavor, or at least 20 minutes.
2
Cook the noodles
about 5 minutes
Boil the noodles in salted water according to the package, about 5 minutes. Reserve 100 ml noodle water, then rinse the noodles thoroughly under cold water.
3
Mix the cold broth
Combine tsuyu, cold water, cooled noodle water, vinegar, and mustard. Chill well and taste; dilute if your tsuyu is highly concentrated.
4
Assemble
Place noodles in a chilled bowl, pour over the broth, and top with chile-yuja relish, grated radish, and shredded unseasoned seaweed.

AI-assisted illustration. Follow the written recipe below for exact measurements, doneness, and food-safety details.

DIRECTIONS

How to make it

01
Make the chile-yuja relish
Finely chop the chiles and mix with the yuja marmalade and salt. Rest overnight for the roundest flavor, or at least 20 minutes.
02
Cook the noodles
Boil the noodles in salted water according to the package, about 5 minutes. Reserve 100 ml noodle water, then rinse the noodles thoroughly under cold water.
03
Mix the cold broth
Combine tsuyu, cold water, cooled noodle water, vinegar, and mustard. Chill well and taste; dilute if your tsuyu is highly concentrated.
04
Assemble
Place noodles in a chilled bowl, pour over the broth, and top with chile-yuja relish, grated radish, and shredded unseasoned seaweed.

SHOP & SUBSTITUTE

Cook it anywhere

Ingredient swaps

Cheongyang chileUse serrano chile for similar fresh heat, or jalapeño for a milder relish.

Yuja marmaladeUse orange marmalade mixed with 1 teaspoon lemon zest.

TsuyuMix 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 2/3 cup light dashi; chill before using.

Korean pantry guide

Yuja marmalade유자청 · yuja-cheong

A fragrant Korean preserve of sliced yuja citrus and sugar, used in tea, dressings, and sauces.

Search: Korean yuja citron tea marmalade

Cheongyang chile청양고추 · Cheongyang-gochu

A small green Korean chile with clean, assertive heat.

Search: Korean Cheongyang green chili pepper

🍚

Serve it with

Wasabi musaengchae
Steamed dumplings
A soft-boiled egg

🌶️

Spice level

Hot. Use 1–2 jalapeños for mild heat, 2–3 serranos for medium, or all 6 Cheongyang chiles for the original intensity.

♨️

Store & reheat

Keep relish and broth refrigerated separately for up to 4 days. Cook and rinse the noodles immediately before serving.

# memil guksu # cold noodles # yuja # Cheongyang chile