culture

World-famous Pyongyang cold noodles are a unique national food favoured by Koreans since olden times.

The “practice of making Pyongyang cold noodles” includes the knowledge and technique related to making the food and the socio-cultural custom practised in the course of making it.

The food is famous for its distinct strips, meat stock, garnishes and vessels.

A coil of noodles, whose main material is buckwheat, is put on a brass vessel and garnished with meat, kimchi, vegetables, fruits and a half of one boiled egg before refreshing watery radish kimchi juice or meat stock is poured over it. The strips are not too tough but good to chew and the taste peculiar to buckwheat stimulates appetite. 

Watery radish kimchi juice or meat stock makes Pyongyang cold noodles more savoury than other buckwheat noodles. 

Koreans liked to make and eat Pyongyang cold noodles on various occasions from ancient times. This custom is still practised.

They eat Pyongyang cold noodles on the day before the traditional holiday of Jongwoldaeborum or the First Full Moon Day by the lunar calendar with a desire to live long like the long strips of the noodles and on auspicious occasions together with relatives or neighbours to share joy and promote respect, harmony and unity.  

The custom makes their dietary life richer and pleasanter, adding optimism to society. 

On the banks of the Taedong River is the Okryu Restaurant, a public catering base which is famous for Pyongyang cold noodles. 

The “practice of making Pyongyang cold noodles” was put on UNESCO’s Representative List of ICH of Humanity.