How it works
What to eat with japchae depends on its job. As a side dish it sits beside rice, kimchi and grilled meat; on a feast table it joins pancakes, soups and rice cakes. These 36 ideas cover both.
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How japchae is served in Korea
Japchae is glass noodles stir-fried with vegetables, savory and slightly sweet. It is commonly served as banchan, one of the small side dishes of a Korean meal, though it can be the main dish. On a bed of rice it is called japchae-bap. Once a royal dish, it is now made for weddings, birthdays and holidays, and it is served warm, at room temperature or cold.
Build the table round it
The noodles are soft, sweet and glossy with sesame oil. Set something sharp beside them, something plain and one dish of meat: kimchi, rice and bulgogi do all three. For a party, add a pancake and finish with rice cakes.
- Cook the japchae first and the meat last. The noodles are happy to wait at room temperature.
Questions and answers
What do you eat with japchae?
Rice and kimchi at the least. Add bulgogi or another dish of meat, a soup such as soybean paste stew, and one or two more side dishes, such as a rolled omelette or diced radish kimchi.
What meat goes with japchae?
Beef is the first choice: bulgogi, braised short ribs or skewered beef. Spicy stir-fried pork adds heat, and boiled pork wraps add something fresh. The noodles often hold a little beef or pork already, so one meat dish is enough.
What soup goes with japchae?
A savory one, since the noodles are sweet: soybean paste stew, short rib soup or kimchi stew. On a birthday the soup is seaweed soup, and at the Korean New Year it is sliced rice cake soup.
What do you drink with japchae?
Without alcohol: barley tea through the meal, then a sweet rice punch or a cinnamon punch, served cold, afterwards. Yuja tea, made with hot water, suits a cold evening.