What is the difference between Jjajangmyeon and Ganjajang?

Standard Jjajangmyeon is made by adding starch water to the stir-fried chunjang sauce to make it thick, which is then poured over the noodles. Ganjajang (乾-) is made by stir-frying ingredients and chunjang on the spot without starch water and serving the noodles and sauce separately, making it more savory and oily.

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Jjajangmyeon

짜장면

A Korean-style Chinese dish made by stir-frying chunjang (black bean paste) in oil with pork, onions, potatoes, cabbage, etc., to create a thick black sauce that is poured over chewy noodles and mixed before eating. It is one of the most beloved delivery foods in Korea.

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Flavor

The key is the savory, subtle caramel-like sweetness and salty umami of the stir-fried chunjang; the thick sauce, enriched by the fatty flavor of pork and the sweetness of onions, coats the chewy noodles perfectly.

Cooking Tips

"Frying the paste" by stir-frying chunjang in plenty of oil over low heat for 3-5 minutes to remove bitterness determines 90% of the flavor. Adding a little starch water at the end to adjust the consistency helps the sauce coat the noodles well.

Substitutes

If you don't have chunjang, you can substitute it with Chinese Tianmianjiang, but reduce the amount as it is sweeter. Noodles can be replaced with udon or thick flour noodles, and if you add shrimp or squid instead of pork, it becomes Samseon Jjajang.

Brands

(Chunjang) Saja Pyo Chunjang, (Noodles) Chinese-style noodles or kalguksu noodles. For ready-made products, there are retort jajang sauces and Chapagetti (instant).

Where to buy

Asian markets (for chunjang and Chinese-style noodles), Amazon.

Storage

Jajang sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or up to one month in the freezer. Noodles should be boiled right before eating and mixed with the sauce immediately so they stay chewy and don't get soggy.

Ganjajang, Samseon Jjajang, Jjajang-bap, Chapagetti.

FAQ

Q. What is the difference between Jjajangmyeon and Ganjajang?
A. Standard Jjajangmyeon is made by adding starch water to the stir-fried chunjang sauce to make it thick, which is then poured over the noodles. Ganjajang (乾-) is made by stir-frying ingredients and chunjang on the spot without starch water and serving the noodles and sauce separately, making it more savory and oily.