Original subtitles

EXQUISITE DOUGH BORNE FROM BUCKWHEAT DOUGH

AN EXTREMELY COLD TASTE

THE EFFORT TO MAKE THE BEST STOCK

THE STORY OF ONE BOWL OF NOODLES

THAT CARRIES THE DEEP HISTORY OF KOREA

IN THE MOST KOREAN OF WAYS

GANGNEUNG, GANGWON PROVINCE

I am Hyunjong of Hyeondeoksa Temple.

-We will have many guests today. -Yes, yes.

Please come and make us delicious cold noodles today.

-Yes, yes. -Okay. But we have a lot of people.

We'll prepare more than enough.

HANDMADE NAENGMYEON RESTAURANT IN GANGNEUNG

When we couldn't afford meat, we'd make noodles at home.

I loved the earthy flavor.

I'll never forget that taste.

So I built a noodle maker, and I make noodles every day.

Every day I make the dough, which hardens very quickly.

Can't make noodles with hard dough. That's why we make the noodles on site

for the freshest taste.

We take everything: iron pots, the noodle maker and the gas barrels.

HANDMADE BUCKWHEAT NOODLES

OUT FOR WORK

No matter where we go, we can make noodles if there's water.

-There he is. -Well, hello.

Hi, there.

-Hello, sir. -Welcome.

HYUN JONG, HEAD MONK

We have to place this on top.

Yes.

We place one iron pot here and the other one here.

It's one device, but it does two things at once.

-Double pots. -This and this?

Long ago, people put in so much effort to make noodles for one bowl.

It probably tasted better.

It's made in Korea. There's no bleached flour.

We order 100% Korean buckwheat, which we grind.

You'll smell the rich aroma when you eat it.

It also has a sweet aftertaste.

100% BUCKWHEAT NOODLES

Buckwheat flour deflates very quickly,

so it has to made into noodles immediately.

Just like that, yes.

Don't pull. Just press.

If you pull, it'll move toward you. Just press.

Wow. This is tough.

Wow. It's working well.

The mechanical devices are hydraulic,

so it applies pressure with so much power.

But the wooden frame has limits because a person is pressing it.

The difference is whether we preserve the taste of buckwheat or not.

Once you taste it,

the difference is clear.

You can taste the distinct taste of buckwheat

the way it's supposed to taste: that rich flavor.

You taste the grain and smell the scent of buckwheat.

PURE BUCKWHEAT NOODLES, PURE GRAIN TASTE

WILD ASTER GARNISH

The radish water kimchi is made of radish, onions and some fruit.

We make it red with beetroot. It naturally ferments.

This is how we ate it in the country.

PURE BUCKWHEAT NAENGMYEON

Come, teachers.

You add what you want. Whatever you want.

Let's eat. This kimchi is very good.

Each person needs to eat three bowls.

It gets better with every bite.

It gets better.

This is how buckwheat is supposed to taste.

You feel it with every bite. It's so delicious.

That's what I think.

No Buddhist monk dislikes noodles.

If there are noodles, it's a party.

Yeah, it's a party day. A day to celebrate.

We monks love noodles.

SEUNGSO: NOODLES BRING SMILES TO MONKS WHILE THEY PRACTICE ASCETICISM

You're a foodie if you know how good these noodles really are.

A real foodie.

BUCKWHEAT FIELD

There's a sweetness to the taste of buckwheat.

I describe the sweetness

as very delicate.

If you really focus…

HWANG GWANG-HAE, FOOD CRITIC

…the sweetness is very slight.

You can barely smell it.

It's as though it's hidden somewhere inside.

Naengmyeon is made by pressing the buckwheat…

NAENGMYEON: NOODLES MADE FROM PRESSED BUCKWHEAT

…and making noodles with that.

You add garnish and stock.

NAENGMYEON: EATEN COLD WITH GARNISH AND STOCK

You eat it cold whether it's summer or winter.

That's naengmyeon.

SEOUL, THE CAPITAL

A half serving of steamed pork

and naengmyeon.

PAIK JONG-WON - PRESENTER

When I started the naengmyeon business, the first thing I considered

was what I think of when I hear "naengmyeon":

the displaced people.

This is the restaurant that the displaced people voted…

VOTED BY REFUGEES FROM PYONGAN PROVINCE AS THE BEST NAENGMYEON RESTAURANT

…as the place where naengmyeon tastes the most like back home.

A CONTINUING TRADITION FROM PYONGYANG FOR FOUR GENERATIONS

We take only as much buckwheat as we need for that day,

because we only grind the daily amount.

That's why it's fresh.

For the stock, we use beef shank, plate and outside round.

We use about 25 kilograms of beef.

BEEF STOCK SIMMERS ALL DAY

From morning to night, we make beef stock all day.

We use the rich meat flavor. Just meat.

The scent of meat.

That blends with the scent of buckwheat to create harmony.

The final result is special.

PYONGYANG NAENGMYEON

DUMPLINGS AS A SIDE DISH

STEAMED PORK

If you went to a steamed-pork restaurant, you'd just eat it,

but at a naengmyeon restaurant…

The pork goes well with pickled shrimp mixed with mustard and vinegar.

This-- This is so good. I shouldn't have told you that.

I go to a lot of Pyongyang naengmyeon restaurants,

and I set my own rules

for each restaurant.

At some places, I eat some things first.

At others, I substitute an ingredient with something else.

At one place, I may add spicy sauces,

and at another, I add a lot of garnish to enjoy the noodles.

-Add rice to make it two servings. -That's right.

Makes sense.

This place-- Oh, yes.

At this place, I add

red chili pepper flakes.

This is my own method-- my own.

The feeling of tasting Pyongyang naengmyeon the first time was…

"What the hell?

What is this thing?

So bland. So tasteless."

That's the impression you should get.

At first I thought, "I've been fooled." I thought, "What the hell?"

Now I'm obsessed with its taste,

and I've been going around the country for decades for naengmyeon.

What's funny about this is that the taste of the stock changes

from before and after you loosen the noodles.

Look at this.

Then you need to smell the scent

that follows the noodles when you pull them up.

When the noodles go into your mouth, the scent also gets sucked in.

Then you smell the buckwheat.

You mix in the vinegar.

THE SCENT OF MEAT BECOMES RICHER WITH VINEGAR

When you mix in vinegar, you get the taste of meat.

That's the taste of naengmyeon.

So let's really enjoy this now.

You taste the radish, the cucumbers,

the complex flavors, and you're chewing the meat.

You have to take your time.

Naengmyeon's actually colorless. It's just plain water.

PARK CHUNG-BAE, FOOD CRITIC

Very bland.

It really doesn't taste like anything, really.

What I hear the most often…

PARK CHAN-IL, FOOD CRITIC

…is it's like dirty laundry water.

It doesn't really taste like anything. Every once in a while,

I get customers who get upset.

At first, people don't understand.

Then they say, "Ew!" and stop eating.

The unique charm of Pyongyang naengmyeon is that

its beauty is in the lack of flavor.

The neutral flavor.

Its taste is hard to detect, and it's also hard to make.

I think that's what adds to the mystery.

It really is mysterious.

It's hard to make.

If you said, "Make it taste rich, sweet or salty,"

then I'd know what to go for.

But you create this flavor that doesn't taste like anything.

That's what's so hard about it.

First thing in the morning, I look at the weather.

Humidity matters when we decide how much water

to add to the dough.

The temperature of the water is the most important part of dough-making.

The noodles could be too moist or too dry.

Buckwheat dough doesn't have a lot of bounce,

so depending on the water retention in the dough,

the difference can be drastic.

When we steam the noodles,

it's like letting cooked rice sit.

How much heat we apply

can change the chewiness of the noodles.

It'll certainly taste different.

Now, I know the sensation of pulling up the noodles after leaving them in water.

It could be half a second that can determine the difference

between good noodles and undercooked noodles.

Timing is very important.

To retain the scent of buckwheat, you have to wash the noodles

in freezing water to preserve the taste.

FREEZING WATER TO CAPTURE THE SCENT OF BUCKWHEAT

By the time the customers receive it,

the temperature goes up and the scent gets exposed.

It's the pure scent of buckwheat which is actually addicting.

It's delicate and subtle.

You can't tell while you're eating,

but as time passes,

you randomly remember

the taste of naengmyeon.

It's hard to get used to the taste, but once you get addicted,

you can't resist it.

Ultimately, you become obsessed.

That's the charm of naengmyeon.

JUNG-GU, SEOUL

I've eaten this as often as every other day.

SUNG SI-KYUNG PYONGYANG NAENGMYEON ENTHUSIAST

It's so good today.

It's so delicious. I love it. I'm happy.

My parents came here for date nights.

My parents bringing me here as a child left such an impression on me.

Two things I wanted when I was in the military were

iced Americano and Pyongyang naengmyeon.

It's like something you get as you get older.

I think I finally understood it when I started drinking.

If I had a hangover, I wanted that beef stock.

Some people get sports drinks, but this is my sports drink.

It's the kind of food you search for.

NAENGMYEON, SOUGHT AFTER FOR ITS TASTE

What am I tasting? Wait, wait.

We say, "It's spicy, it's salty, it's sweet," right?

But this makes you go, "Huh?"

Oh, this is beef stock, so it's filling and it helps with hangovers.

The noodles are cool and chewy.

When you eat it with radish water kimchi,

it adds to the freshness.

The kimchi breaks the taste of oil in the meat.

The balance is very delicate and mysterious.

It's basically "food for the soul."

If you just endure and try it ten times, you may say, "Why, is this medicine?"

Well, no, it's not,

but you really can't tell the first time, strangely enough.

You can't tell how wonderful this is. It takes time for you to understand.

Don't cut the noodles.

I really beg of you.

That's like…

only listening to the first verse of a song.

MAPO-GU, SEOUL

SORENSEN JOAKIM SWEDISH NAENGMYEON ENTHUSIAST

PIERCE CONRAN IRISH NAENGMYEON ENTHUSIAST

GAËL FRANÇOIS FRENCH NAENGMYEON ENTHUSIAST

EXPERIENCING THE CHARM OF PYONGYANG NAENGMYEON TODAY

SLURPING IT WHOLE AFTER NINE YEARS OF EATING PYONGYANG NAENGMYEON

It's like something your uncle would eat.

Oh, something your uncle would enjoy?

Team Uncle!

People don't seek out extremely cold food the way they do with naengmyeon.

NAENGMYEON, AN EXTREMELY COLD DISH

No other cold dish in the world is so popular on so many levels.

There's practically none.

When we typically talk about food,

there are many types that came from overseas to Korea.

But naengmyeon, in a way,

is filled with history and meaning.

It may be our unique culture.

KIM YOUNG-BOK, CULTURAL RESEARCHER

The first record of naengmyeon was written during the Joseon Era.

In the book Gyegokjib by Jang Yu,

there's a poem called "Jajang naengmyeon."

One hot day,

someone ate these cold noodles and felt the wonderful feeling

of coolness.

The stock of the noodles described

as purple and red.

JAJANG NAENGMYEON

JEONJU, NORTH JEOLLA PROVINCE

In the book Gyuhap Chongseo, we see the first recipe of naengmyeon,

which is historically very important.

This document is very important when it comes to naengmyeon's history.

The book has treasures hidden inside it.

When you make radish kimchi during the winter,

-there's no cucumber. -Right.

You pick cucumbers in late autumn,

store them in ash, and you'll be able to use them fresh.

In Gyuhap Chongseo, the recipe for radish kimchi is written in great detail.

It describes the shape of the radish.

It tells you how to peel and cut the radish.

Notably, they used yuzu and pomegranate.

The fruits yielded scent, and they made pretty colors.

The start of a good naengmyeon is good radish kimchi.

The ingredients in the radish kimchi are all used as garnish.

Then you add the beef stock.

ADD PORK AND JULIENNED FRIED EGGS. THEN YOU ADD EGG GARNISH.

Colors may vary by garnish type. You create balance.

You add black pepper.

You eat it. You have naengmyeon.

ACCORDING TO THE GYUHAP CHONGSEO (1908)

What's known to the Korean public is a king's love for the dish.

KING GOJONG IN PARTICULAR

NATIONAL PALACE MUSEUM OF KOREA

King Gojong had a sweet tooth.

The royal chefs added

a lot of pear to radish kimchi

and stored them in huge pots.

The chefs dug out the pears in half-moon shapes with a spoon.

That brings out the juice even more,

and it looks like shaved ice.

They place the slices on top like a flower.

Then they place sliced boiled beef in a cross pattern.

Then, julienned egg garnish.

SLICED EGG GARNISH HONEY AND PINE NUTS

Then they added honey to make it even sweeter.

In the history of the late Joseon Era,

the mention of Gojong's naengmyeon is quite symbolic.

His heart for the country

was contained in that bowl of soup.

GOJONG'S PEAR RADISH KIMCHI NAENGMYEON

Now, when we say naengmyeon,

we know it came from Pyongyang and surrounding provinces.

In the map, you see Naengmyeon Road.

People who live in Pyongyang

used to say that if they don't eat naengmyeon at night, they can't sleep.

What about Seoul? It was very popular there too.

The '30s was when naengmyeon really thrived.

Modern fiction exploded into the scene in the early '30s.

Any mention of food delivery, especially naengmyeon…

If they wrote fiction about naengmyeon,

news media started to mention naengmyeon more.

In a poem that depicts the atmosphere of Gyeongseong,

delivery men would take more than 20 bowls on a bike

with one hand and ride the bike with the other.

They would speed through

the neighborhood to deliver them.

"THE DELIVERY MAN AND THE NOBLEWOMAN" (1934), THE CHOSUN ILBO

"A NOBLEWOMAN IS AMAZED AT THE DELIVERY MAN'S CIRCUS TRICK."

SHE SAID, "OH, MY. HOW DOES HE LIFT SUCH A HEAVY LOAD WITH ONE HAND?"

Naengmyeon season begins in April or May in Seoul.

There was a paper banner at a naengmyeon restaurant.

Once spring arrived, naengmyeon season began.

Even in the '40s,

Pyongyang naengmyeon shops thrived,

even before refugees arrived in Seoul.

Of those shops, only one remains

on Euljiro 2-ga.

Before the Korean War,

they made and sold Pyongyang naengmyeon.

JUNG-GU, SEOUL

If you're a naengmyeon enthusiast, you must visit this place.

I think I've been here three times.

I'd see that the elderly always eat the meat first.

I'll have the bulgogi first,

and then I'll have naengmyeon.

I love naengmyeon so much. The history here--

The founder of this place passed away, but in Pyongyang,

he ran a place called Myungwolkwan.

After independence, he traveled to Seoul

and opened a restaurant called Seobukkwan.

He closed it because of the Korean War,

but after the war, he opened another one

called The Return.

When we talk about naengmyeon,

there's a phrase that goes with it:

"Enjoy your liquor first…"

EAT NOODLES LATER

So, they drank alcohol beforehand.

Then they had naengmyeon after.

If you look through old literature,

our ancestors dealt with hangovers with noodles.

I'm playing such a scene out now,

not just because I want to drink.

You sold bulgogi since day one, right?

Yes.

HANWOO BULGOGI

Right now, while I wait for naengmyeon,

I'm not mindlessly waiting.

I'm thinking about how I'm going to eat it when it gets here.

No, really.

Am I going to add vinegar?

Or mustard?

Shall I taste the stock first?

Or eat a bundle of noodles first?

If I imagine how I'm going to eat it, it makes me happy.

I'm creating a story in my head.

-Thank you. -Sure.

For other foods, I would have to enjoy it with my eyes, but there's no time.

I have to eat it immediately.

They use beef for their stock.

You can tell they add nothing, but it's still so rich and blends

well with buckwheat.

The beef stock here is incredible.

We bring in 85 beef ribs daily.

We get 210 kilograms of beef.

We chop it up as soon as it arrives.

We cut out much of the fat.

The stock is hanwoo.

We use hanwoo plate and outside rump.

You need to sit closest to the kitchen to eat naengmyeon.

You have to eat it in two bites before it gets soggy…

as soon as it goes into the stock.

I'm not even eating the garnish.

Fill your mouth with noodles.

-Well, hello. -How is the naengmyeon?

Still delicious.

How long did you work here?

I'd say 58 years.

Fifty-eight years here?

I did the office work, tasted the stock,

and ate naengmyeon every day.

-I'd also, you know… -Check?

KIM JI-EOK MANAGER FOR 58 YEARS

LEE YOUNG-IL NAENGMYEON HEAD CHEF FOR 50 YEARS

SEOL DONG-CHANG NAENGMYEON SOUS CHEF FOR 40 YEARS

Mr. Lee, in the kitchen, there are chefs that oversee the process.

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 53

I hear this place has a different term.

We have ranks.

Ranks? For naengmyeon makers?

Not as chefs?

-The chef's job is to garnish. -Putting this on top?

-Yes, yes. -They only garnish. Nothing else.

-So, he's the head chef? -He's the head honcho.

Below him

is the "forerunner" who makes the noodles.

He's so good at it.

He's fantastic.

If you lift the noodles,

-they loosen right away. -Oh, I see.

-That's the skill. -The third rank.

-Yes. -The "starter."

The man who boils the noodles.

You have to take it out of the water with perfect timing.

Just a little late, and the noodles become lumps.

-Too early, and it's al dente. -That's right.

Who's next?

The dough maker.

The dough of the noodles?

Long ago, it was all done by hand, so it felt like cowhide.

THE DOUGH MAKER

THE STARTER

THE QUALITY INSPECTOR

THE GARNISHER

We always refer to naengmyeon from Pyongyang.

But actually, there is also Jinju naengmyeon.

This is revealed in North Korean literature.

FOOD CUSTOMS (1994)

"THE MOST WELL-KNOWN NAENGMYEON STYLES ARE FROM PYONGYANG AND JINJU"

Some people may have heard of Jinju naengmyeon,

but not many come across it.

Here I am in Jinju.

Do you put beef pancakes on the noodles?

-Yes, as garnish. -Just a few?

-Beef pancakes and naengmyeon. -Yes, sir.

When we talk about naengmyeon in Korea,

there are other regions too, but it's Pyongyang naengmyeon…

PYONGYANG NAENGMYEON

…Hamhung naengmyeon…

HAMHUNG NAENGMYEON

…Jinju naengmyeon.

JINJU NAENGMYEON

What's cool is the economy boomed

in Pyongyang up north,

but in the south, the mecca for businesses,

literature, music,

and trade was Jinju in the south.

JINJU, THE CENTER OF THE ARTS AND TRADE

What's common between those cities is that the adult entertainment industry thrived.

PALDO MIINDO BY CHAE YONG-SHIN PYONGYANG GISAENG, JINJU GISAENG

When they get hungry at night,

the men look for naengmyeon.

So, in a way, naengmyeon is a midnight snack.

"Drink first, eat noodles later" actually came from

adult entertainment culture.

They'd enjoy the music, drink wine,

and eat naengmyeon, according to the records.

It's a living taste,

due to the adult industry in Jinju.

Naengmyeon has a lot of garnish.

GYOYANG YANGBAN DANCE

Scholars were prominent in Jinju culture.

It's a gentlemen's culture.

The thing about Jinju naengmyeon…

is that there's a lot of garnish.

It's like a piece of art.

JINJU NAENGMYEON

It's very pretty, more than any others I've had.

This is the most embellished.

There's steamed beef, beef pancake slices under that.

According to rumors, they used a lot of

beef pancakes on dishes for ancestral rites.

That's why they also add it

to the naengmyeon.

Wow, this is different.

A slight taste of soy sauce-marinated crabs,

probably because the stock is of seafood.

I've never tasted stock like this before.

SEAFOOD STOCK

Jinju naengmyeon is,

according to customers,

profound and mysterious.

EIGHT TYPES OF SEAFOOD

First, we add a part of a cow spine.

You have to put this in to create that deep taste of the beef stock.

The stock has to simmer for 12 hours.

Then you take it out, add anchovies, and boil that for two hours.

Cockles and Manila clams for ten to 15 minutes.

Making stock is so difficult.

You don't just dump in all ingredients at once.

You take one out and put another in

for two nights, so basically, three days.

We have over 100 clay pots.

All of these contain soy sauce.

We make 3,200 kilograms of fermented soy beans a year.

To make stock, soy sauce is so important.

We need the best ingredients.

This goes so well with the beef pancakes.

Personally, I think that this needs a lot of garnish on top

to enjoy it fully.

When we talk about the history of naengmyeon,

naengmyeon grew very popular in South Korea.

As it became a popular food choice,

new ways of noodle-making were developed

during the Korean War, especially.

After the Korean War,

various naengmyeon styles

from North Korea

were created anew.

Before and after the Korean War changed the map of naengmyeon.

When the refugees moved south,

people moved to Seoul and started businesses.

Some used boats to cross over from the north.

Baengnyeong is near the Yellow Sea.

BAENGNYEONG PROVINCE HWANGHAE PROVINCE STYLES

Some went down to Busan.

They developed milmyeon.

BUSAN, HAMGYONG PROVINCE STYLE

Hamgyong Province people

went down south on two paths.

People who escaped inland

opened shops at the end of Seoul, around Jangchung-dong and Ojang-dong.

OJANG-DONG

The refugees congregated here.

This was their spot.

They all hung out here.

A PLACE OF GATHERING FOR REFUGEES WHO'VE LOST THEIR HOMES

In the north we used halibut, but here we used spot skate.

In the north, they cut and ate raw halibut.

HAMGYONG PROVINCE

The other group entered by water,

which was most people from Hamgyong.

A lot of them settled around Sokcho.

SOKCHO, GANGWON PROVINCE

People who made North Korean blood sausage,

pickled halibut and pickled pollack

were from Abai Village.

About naengmyeon, historically speaking,

the story is important.

When we talk about Hamhung naengmyeon, we ask, "Where did it begin?"

Most think of Ojang-dong

or this place in Sokcho.

Our restaurant opened in 1951.

When we started the business,

our father said it's going to be called Hamhung Naengmyeon

because we're from Hamhung.

So, that's the name.

Here is your order.

-Yes. -Thank you.

Hamhung naengmyeon originates from

starch noodles in Hamhung. The noodles were

made of potato starch.

As time passed, it become harder to find potato starch.

A lot of the starch comes from yams.

Now it's 100% yam starch.

Originally we used a lot of potato starch.

It's hard, but we apply

a lot of pressure to it.

"YAM STARCH NOODLES"

You have rinse them twice in cold water, so that the noodles are chewy.

Raw pollack dishes don't have fish smell

but are delicious.

So, my mother had an idea:

"Let's change it to pollack."

So now, we have raw pollack as garnish.

POLLACK HAMHUNG NAENGMYEON

Wow, these noodles are so chewy.

This is why it's different from Pyongyang naengmyeon.

It feels like the whole bowl will come up with it.

This is great. Bibim naengmyeon to water naengmyeon.

This stock isn't bland but spicy.

Wow, this has its own charm.

NAENGMYEON OK

Sir, if you've been a regular for so long, are you a refugee?

I am. I'm from Hamhung.

Show us how you eat this.

Pour this.

Take the cooked egg yolk,

-Crush it? -Crush it well.

Mix it up.

Naengmyeon has to connect from your mouth to your throat

and to your stomach to get the real taste.

If you cut it up and eat it, what is that?

I didn't cut the noodles.

-I didn't. -Hold it. From your mouth,

your throat, and to your stomach.

-Eat the whole thing? -Of course!

Naengmyeon used to be delivery food.

I heard you also deliver quite a few of these.

Look here. This man right here.

This man here.

-That is this man's father? -Yes, yes.

His father, and his noodles…

-He would tie the dishes to his back. -That's a wooden tray?

-The wooden one. -Yes.

-Looks heavy. -Like this.

He would take the noodles,

more than ten at a time, with the stock.

-That kettle? -Right.

-He rode around Sokcho like that. -Amazing.

He was so strong. So strong.

Well, now you use raw pollack as garnish, but it was different then?

-We used to have halibut. -Raw halibut, right?

-Sir, did you get to eat halibut? -Yes, halibut.

SHOTTED HALIBUT, USED AS GARNISH IN THE '50s AND '60s

This is good halibut. The waters are good.

This is fresh.

You used to use this.

This type of naengmyeon came from North Korea with the halibut.

-Right, it's Hamhung style. -In North Korean style,

it has raw halibut on the noodles.

You add sugar, garlic, ginger,

and pepper flakes to the halibut.

The fish becomes chewier and goes well with naengmyeon.

RAW HALIBUT SALAD

You add cucumber slices,

place halibut on top of the noodles,

an egg on top of that,

and now, it's so pretty.

HALIBUT HAMHUNG NAENGMYEON

It makes my mouth water.

ABAI VILLAGE, WHERE REFUGEES FROM HAMGYONG SETTLED DURING THE WAR

How was the Abai Village formed?

People who wanted to go home

really wanted to be one step ahead of everyone else.

This is where we met.

If someone said, "Ready, set, go!" they wanted to go home first.

Yes.

-Oh, this is halibut. -Wow, I've haven't had this

in a long while.

Long ago, we had at least two bowls.

Right, double portion.

-Yes. -Double portion wasn't enough.

It all goes in, and I'd get hungry again.

Didn't eat it on my birthday.

-You can't. -It's expensive.

What a lucky day this is.

I asked people to buy me a bowl.

-Naengmyeon is all I wanted. -It's the best.

When there was something to celebrate,

I'd ask friends to buy me a bowl.

Then that day was a lucky day. A special day.

FEBRUARY 1953, ABAI VILLAGE SOURCE: SOKCHO MUSEUM

NAM-GU, BUSAN

ANOTHER NOODLE TYPE CREATED BY THE KOREAN WAR

MILMYEON, A SIGNATURE SUMMER DISH IN BUSAN

Milmyeon is good, no matter when you eat it.

Milmyeon is a type of naengmyeon.

Naengmyeon means "cold noodles."

I think milmyeon is also naengmyeon.

Isn't it obvious?

UAM-DONG, NAM-GU, BUSAN

This whole area is relocation centers.

SOMAK VILLAGE, WHERE REFUGEES LIVED

Here's how they ended up here.

These used to be cattle slaughterhouses.

So many lived here.

These were cattle barns.

Not much of those remain. It's been 150 years.

So, where is everyone from?

Most are from North Hamgyong Province.

They all used to eat

-potato starch noodles. -Oh, yes?

-Naengmyeon was potato starch once. -Yeah, we miss home.

So, you started to sell naengmyeon here.

UAM MARKET IN BUSAN

When we arrived, our grandmothers found out

that they couldn't find potatoes, just yams.

So, what could they do?

At this Catholic church,

there was a German priest who served there.

His name was Antonio Ha.

He sold his own property to purchase flour.

THE CHURCH THAT DISTRIBUTED FLOUR

In that neighborhood, if you had one meal a day,

you ate well.

This was including rations that the military handed out.

PORT OF BUSAN, WHERE WAR RELIEF PACKAGES ARRIVED

That's the Port of Busan.

Flour and other goods came from all directions.

So people would take the flour and try many ways to make food with it.

Do you know sak noodles? Potato starch noodles and sak noodles?

SAK NOODLES

They didn't have noodle makers at home,

-so you paid for it. -Yes.

We pressed the noodles, and they paid us.

We had the flour, but people didn't know what do with it.

So they brought it to the noodle houses.

Thus, the birth of milmyeon in 1959.

Wow, how interesting.

NAENGMYEON WITH COMMON FLOUR INSTEAD OF YAM STARCH

WATER MILMYEON

Here are the flour noodles.

Usually, we add steamed pork.

If you've never had this, it's just less chewy than the others.

It's not tough like some of the others.

The stock is a mix of Hamhung sauce

and Pyongyang stock.

Say again?

You have to taste it.

The portion is small.

-Sauce-based milmyeon, raw spot skate. -Impeccable timing.

Spot skate-based sauce.

BIBIM MILMYEON

When flour arrived as relief aid, this original milmyeon dish was created.

It fills your mouth.

It has a stronger taste.

Which was sauce-based again?

THE ALLEYWAYS ARE AS NARROW AS WHEN THE REFUGEES ARRIVED

My father drew this map.

He said, "When we reunify, take this path and go home."

My father wrote a will that was filled

with deep-seated anguish.

He wrote, "This dishonorable son leaves earth at age 88."

You know, I cry

every time I read this.

I can't speak.

I cry every time.

The streets of Jogye-dong have changed so much.

That barbershop wasn't there.

When we were young, during the winter,

we'd sit by the furnace.

-We'd put noodles into radish kimchi dish. -Mixed it up.

My mother would make that for me. Those memories are still fresh.

My father made the noodle maker,

and my big brothers would pump the maker to make the dough.

They would press it to make noodles and combine that with stock.

Pheasant stock was the best.

-You caught wild pheasants? -Yes.

PHEASANT STOCK

We made our own stock.

That was so delicious.

I still remember how that used to taste.

That rich flavor.

So rich.

We thought we died and went to heaven.

REMEMBERING THEIR HOMETOWNS AS THEY EAT PYONGYANG NAENGMYEON

You remember home when you eat it.

My last desire is that I'll be buried in my hometown.

That's my hope. I don't think it'll happen.

For me,

what I want

is to take the path I took to go to elementary school.

Yes.

Pyongyang naengmyeon, for refugees like us,

is more walking down memory lane.

It's a return home.

The relationship between the north and the south is what it is.

We are living proof as refugees, so eating these noodles

brings complicated emotions.

That's the power of naengmyeon.

Before this, about 80% of the customers were elderly.

Only 20-30% used to be young people.

Now it's the opposite. 70-80% are young people.

YEONGDEUNGPO-GU, SEOUL

I heard they have 100% buckwheat noodles.

Do you often look for Pyongyang naengmyeon?

NAENGMYEON CLUB

I'm currently collecting business cards from Pyongyang naengmyeon restaurants.

You have over 20.

Awesome.

You get on the Internet and look at social media.

-Thank you. -It's the age of Mukbang.

LEE YOON-HWA, FOOD CRITIC

They worry about what they can eat to post on Instagram.

For the past few years, it's been the same.

Pyongyang naengmyeon is at the forefront.

PYONGYANG NAENGMYEON, A HIP ITEM FOR PEOPLE IN THEIR 20s AND 30s

They don't use sliced egg garnish, just a boiled egg.

They use beef flank here.

The stock is good too.

The smell of green onions is strong

-in this stock. -The meat too.

It has its distinct chewy texture.

I love it.

I love that it's 100% buckwheat.

The taste of Pyongyang naengmyeon is different at every place.

One may use radish kimchi for stock.

RADISH KIMCHI STOCK

Another may use stock that has a rich scent of meat.

MEAT STOCK

Some places use red pepper flakes,

and some use the scent of green onions.

It's fun to find these places.

I'm seeking the style that I love the most,

and that's what I enjoy the most about this journey.

I really love this taste, and looking for it has become a hobby.

It's like seeking new challenges to overcome.

I get competitive with myself and look for places I haven't been.

It's easy to eat, and this dish

is like a key that connects us to our forefathers.

I want to call it "food for the soul."

It really is. We just haven't given it much thought.

Other people may see it as another item on a menu,

but it's unique to us.

I'd love for people all over the world to learn

why we eat this and what the advantages are.

I want to share with them what its secrets are.

This dish is over 500 years old.

It's evolved over the years.

NAENGMYEON, WITH WHOM WE WALKED 500 YEARS

The noodle ingredients changed.

Its stock changed.

Its method has changed. The devices have changed.

It's dish that always changes, develops, and always evolves.

Today's naengmyeon is not what it used to be.

If you throw various ingredients into the great furnace

of the Korean peninsula,

new things will be born.

Sinhung naengmyeon was made

according to the demands of the consumer.

Changes occur according to what the locals want.

You can't help but to challenge yourself with this dish.

No place makes it the same.

Naengmyeon transforms according to the maker.

Subtitle translation by: Sung-ahn Choi