The cold is starting to seep its way into shorter days and longer nights. Rain is on the way, frost making an appearance every now and then. We all want a way to keep ourselves out of the cold. What better way to warm up than with a bowl of steaming hot broth and chewy noodles?
Let Sujebi (수제비) be the dish to keep you cosy as the nights draw in. This hand-pulled noodle dish is not only super simple to make, but it’ll also warm you up right down to your toes too! It may take a while for the ingredients to simmer away until they’re at their best, but trust us when we say it’ll be worth the time.
But what ingredients do you need? Very few as it turns out. Simple is often best when done to perfection and that’s exactly the case with Sujebi. The main feature is the hand-pulled noodles. These are made with a flour-based dough that is rolled out until thin, then roughly pulled into chunks before cooking. The taste is exactly like noodles, only in larger flakes. These are cooked away in a rich anchovy based broth. Sometimes other ingredients are added to give a deeper flavour such as kelp, garlic or soy sauce. Then vegetables are added, the two most common of which are courgette and potatoes. There are different variants to this of course, with some recipes adding in kimchi and gochujang for a little heat. It’s not usually enjoyed as a single dish alone either. Bindaetteok (빈대떡), a fried mung bean pancake, often accompany a bowl of Sujebi.
The dish is a favourite for rainy days. In the past, however, it was seen as a meal for the rich. Flour was harder to come by during the Joseon period in Korea, meaning that only the rich could tend to afford it. It was commonly the celebratory meal at a baby’s first birthday. The name itself is a lot more humble. Based on the original hanja, it combines su meaning ‘hand’ and jeop, which means ‘folding.’ Though it’s changed over the years, Sujebi still retains its original feature.
Since it’s so easy to make and there are a lot more rainy days ahead, why not have a go at making some Sujebi yourself? Take a look at Future Neighbour’s video and recipe for how to make it and follow along, then let us know what you think!
