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| Subject |
Cold Noodle Dish to Counter the Summer Swelter |
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384 |
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| Author/Position |
Lee Jong-Im |
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| Photographer |
Ahn Hong-beom |
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Cold Noodle Dish to Counter the Summer Swelter
Kongguksu is a favorite Korean dish during summer that consists of thin noodles served with a cold soybean broth. The broth can be easily prepared by grinding prepared soybeans in a blender. This traditional Korean dish, which provides protein but only minimal calories, is a refreshing means to counter the sweltering summer heat in Korea.
Lee Jong-Im Director, Korea Food & Culture Research Center
Ahn Hong-beom Photographer
As a rich source of nutrients, beans have increasingly gained popularity as a healthier alternative to meat. A few examples of Korean foods made with beans include dubu (tofu), doenjang (fermented soybean paste), ganjang (soy sauce), and cheonggukjang (quick fermented bean paste).
A bowl of cold kongguksu (soybean milk noodles) has long been considered an effective means to restore your energy during the scorching summer heat. In fact, a cold serving of milky white kongguksu, not only tastes refreshing, it also helps revive your mental and physical vitality, which can be dissipated by the torrid heat associated with the “dog days” of a Korean summer. The consumption of excessive amounts of meat and fatty foods by Koreans, due to a dramatic change in their dietary practices and food preferences, has led to an increase in adult and geriatric diseases. As for kongguksu, which is made from beans and provides vegetable protein, it is recognized as a healthy choice by people today. In the summer, Koreans relish so-called energy foods such as samgyetang (chicken with ginseng soup) and a yukgaejang (spicy beef and vegetable soup), which they believe can help to rejuvenate the body and mind. In addition to kongguksu, other summer favorites include naengmyeon (cold noodles) and kkaeguksu (sesame noodles).
Origin of Kongguksu
Although it is unclear exactly when Koreans first developed kongguksu, the Siuijeonseo (是議全書), a book on Korean cuisine published in the late 1800s, includes recipes for making kongguksu and kkaeguksu, confirming its longtime presence on the Korean dinner table. Moreover, the lack of earlier references to this noodle dish might well be attributed to the fact that it was such a common food that there seemed to be little need to record a recipe for its preparation.
In the past, members of the literati (yangban) class believed in the benefit of revitalizing their physical and mental condition, which tended to be sapped by the summer heat, by having kkaeguksu, a noodle dish served with a sesame-based broth. According to the recipes for summer foods included in the ancient journal Dongguksesigi (東國歲時記, A Record of Seasonal Customs in Korea), the preparation of kkaeguksu called for making noodles out of flour, preparing chicken meat and vegetables (such as zucchini and cucumber), and then combining the ingredients with a chicken broth that was made with roasted and ground up sesame seed. As for the common folk, they sought refreshment from a bowl of noodles served with a soybean broth. These days, beans have become a more popular and healthier alternative to chicken broth. As such, kongguksu has become a favorite cold food during the summer season.
Nutritious Beans
Kongguksu is made with soybeans that contain eight essential amino acids. Although beans are a source of vegetable protein, they do not contain any fat. Beans provide a variety of vitamins and minerals, such as iron, calcium, potassium, Vitamin A and C, and folic acid, but are also low in calories, making them an excellent choice in the efforts to curtail obesity. Moreover, beans are rich in soluble fiber, which helps to prevent constipation and reduce the risk of cancer. Beans are also helpful for people with diabetes because they help to regulate glucose levels. In addition, beans contain the calcium and magnesium needed to maintain bone density as well as the female hormone, known as vegetable estrogen, which can mitigate climacteric symptoms and deter osteoporosis. Beans are also highly recommended for teenagers to help stabilize their bone structure during a period of rapid growth.
Since isoflavone, a primary component of beans, has been found to enhance the body’s absorption of calcium and to suppress the growth of cancer cells, bean consumption is recommended to help reduce breast cancer, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer. And because beans are rich in protein and unsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic/linolenic acid, they lower the risk of atherosclerosis by reducing the accumulation of fatty deposits in the arteries. As a rich source of nutrients, beans have increasingly gained popularity as a healthier alternative to meat. A few examples of Korean foods made with beans include dubu (tofu), doenjang (fermented soybean paste), ganjang (soy sauce), and cheonggukjang (quick fermented bean paste).
Kongguksu Preparation
In the previously mentioned Siuijeonseo, the recipe for making kongguksu states: “After a thorough soaking in water, parboil the soybeans. Grind the parboiled beans with a millstone and then filter through a sieve. Season the filtered liquid with salt. After wheat-flour noodles have been prepared, combine the noodles with the soybean broth and garnish with sliced vegetables.”
For the preparation of kongguksu, the first step is to thoroughly soak the soybeans in water, remove the outer skin, and parboil the beans. After allowing the beans to cool off, grind them with a millstone or process with a blender. The soybean broth should be seasoned with salt and placed in the refrigerator. During the grinding process, sesame, black sesame, peanuts, and pine nuts can be added to the soybeans to create a richer flavor. Combine the wheat-flour noodles with the soybean broth, and top with thin slices of cucumber garnish.
Variety of Noodles
In most cases, a thin wheat-flour noodle, somyeon, is used to make kongguksu. Like the dried pasta used in Western-style cooking, somyeon is easy to prepare and store. Somyeon is ideally suited for a soybean broth. A basic dish of kongguksu can be prepared by simply combining the noodles and milky soybean broth, together with a garnish of sliced vegetables. As an alternative, you can use noodles infused with green tea or chlorella powder for a new twist, in terms of appearance and taste. The green-colored noodles provide the dish with a distinctive appearance and enhanced flavor. In addition, a more decorative dish can be created by adding a variety of garnish items, such as sliced cucumber, tomato, and pear, as well as radish sprouts and pine nuts.
Kongguksu
Ingredients
Somyeon noodles (300 grams), cucumber (1/3), cherry tomatoes (3), orange paprika (1/8), pear (1/8), pine nuts (1 tablespoon), sesame for garnish
Soybean broth: soybeans (2 cups), roasted sesame (1 tablespoon), fresh water (8 cups: 2 cups to parboil the beans, 3 cups for grinding the boiled beans, 3 cups for noodles), salt (1 teaspoon).
Preparation
1. Rinse the soybeans and soak in water for about 10 hours, or overnight. Rub the beans to remove the outer skin.
2. Parboil the soybeans in 2 cups of water. Remove from heat and save water. Allow beans to cool. (Avoid overcooking the beans in order to retain their flavor and nutrients.)
3. Grind the beans and sesame with a millstone or process in a blender, and combine with boiled water. Add 3 cups fresh water and filter the mixture through a sieve.
4. Season the soybean broth with salt and store in the refrigerator.
5. Thinly slice the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, pear, and orange paprika.
6. Heat water seasoned with salt. When the water reaches a boil, add the noodles. Stir the noodles occasionally. Rinse the noodles with cold water and divide into individual portions.
7. Place a portion of noodles in a serving bowl. Add the sliced cucumber, orange paprika, pear, and cherry tomatoes, and pour in the cold soybean broth. Garnish with pine nuts and sesame, and add ice cubes.
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