Jajang-myun

Also Romanized as chachang-myun and other variations. A Korean dish (at least I've only ever seen it at Korean restaurants) which consists of a big bowl of thick delicious wheat noodles topped with a rich, dark, salty, chunky black bean sauce. The sauce as I've had it has hunks of vegetables in it like onion, squash, carrot and peas and it also usually has hunks of beef or pork in it too. Since I became vegan it has been FOREVER since I've had jajang-myun (the same, alas, can be said for donuts, but that's another matter). It can be made without meat if you're fortunate enough to know someone who knows how to make it though. I think my mom said it was originally a Chinese dish but I've never seen it at Chinese restaurants.

Jajang-myun is indeed Chinese. It is a delicious noodly dish, but it is NOT Korean. Perhaps people think this because it is not usually served in Chinese restaurants (on the contrary, it can be found in Korean restaurants) and because its taste does not seem to fit in with the whole Chinese takeout scheme.

However, if you visit a Chinese restaurant in Seoul, you will be able to order it. Alas, those Chinese restaurants in America don't have this dish. At least, there are none that I am aware of. And that, my friends, is a crying shame.

Chinese name: 炸醤麺 (zha4jiang4mian4)
Japanese name: ジャージャー麺 (jaa jaa men)
Korean name: 짜장면 (Jajang-myun)

Jajang-myun is a Korean-style Chinese food with black soy paste (jajang) and noodles (myun). Jajang-myun was introduced to Korea through trade with the Qing dynasty of China, and it was offered at a Korean restaurant for the first time in 1905. Ingredients may include but are not limited to: pork, onions, corn starch, jajang, peas, garlic, noodles about the thickness of udon, and optionally, hot pepper. May be topped off with fresh slices of cucumber and winter radish.

I've seen this dish offered at a Korean restaurant and a Korean-owned Japanese restaurant. I've read that it is a common dish in Korean-owned Chinese restaurants.

sources:
- http://www.koparis.com/~hatta/untiku/untiku002.htm
- http://www.konest.com/culture/foodstory/dictionary/no51.htm