Yanji Cold Noodles
延吉冷面
English: Yanji Cold Noodles
Chinese: 延吉冷面
Pinyin: yanji liangmian
Literal: Yanji cold noodles
When most people picture Dongbei—the northeastern provinces of China—they tend to imagine thick blankets of snow, sub-zero temperatures that kill your iPhone battery, and the gleaming ice palaces of Harbin.
Few people would put Dongbei and summer in the same sentence, but the landscape transforms from a frozen ice land to fragrant pine forests, green mountains and balmy cities. The days turn warm and humid, the heat sometimes heavy. The thick stews and meat-heavy dishes of winter are not what’s needed. The food shifts too - towards lighter, sharper flavours that refresh and cool us down. Nothing quite answers this call better than Yanji Cold Noodles.
Yanji is a small city in Jilin province, near the border of North Korea and just 50km from Russia. The area is home to a large ethnic Korean population, and its food reflects a blend of Korean and Chinese traditions. While these noodles have clear roots in Korean cold noodle dishes (naengmyeon), the Yanji version has a distinct local identity. The broth pulls in local Chinese ingredients, leaning slightly sweeter, more vinegared with a dash of soy sauce, giving a sweet-sour-salty soup. Unlike their Korean counterparts, which often bring the chilli heat from kimchi or gochujang, Yanji Cold Noodles tend to be gentler in spice—and the noodles themselves, just a touch softer and less chewy.
I do not enjoy the stifling summer months of Northern China, but as the humidity starts to rise, I look forward to the cooling salads, cold soups and a few refreshing lunches of Yanji Cold Noodles. It’s usually served in a big metal bowl, ice cubes bobbing in the shimmering amber broth, topped with crisp cucumber shreds, a few slices of beef, and the sweet crunch of Asian pear. Cooling, clean, and full of contrast.
Serves 2
Ingredients
For the broth - (should be sweet and sour)
600ml water
600ml clear beef stock (preferably homemade)
4.5 tablespoons white rice vinegar
2 tablespoon light soy sauce
2.5 - 3 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon kimchi brine or dongchimi brine (radish water brine) (optional)
6-8 ice cubes
For the noodles
200g Korean-style cold noodles (buckwheat-starch) (荞麦冷面 | qiaomai lengmian)
Toppings
100g cooked beef brisket - thinly sliced
2 hard-boiled eggs
½ cucumber - julienned
½ Asian pear - thinly sliced
½ bunch of coriander - roughly chopped
1 ripe tomato - thinly sliced
1 teaspoon Korean gochujiang
3 tablespoons kimchi (optional)
½ tablespoon sesame seeds
Method
Notes
The noodles used here are a particular type: not soba (which are 100% buckwheat), but noodles made from buckwheat starch. They’re usually labelled as ‘Korean-style cold noodles’, ‘cold noodles (冷面)’, or ‘buckwheat starch noodles (荞麦淀粉面)’. In Korean, they may be labelled naengmyeon (냉면).
If you can't find them, soba will work in a pinch, though the texture will be slightly different.To make this dish vegetarian, swap the beef stock for mushroom broth and replace the brisket with slices of firm tofu.
Prepare the broth. In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, beef stock, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, salt, white pepper, and brine (if using). Stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Taste and adjust the balance of sour, salty, and sweet to your liking.
Cover and refrigerate the broth for at least 2–3 hours until very cold.
Prepare the toppings. While the broth chills, prepare and arrange your toppings so they’re ready to plate.
Cook the noodles.Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package instructions—usually 3–4 minutes—stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Drain and rinse immediately under cold running water. This stops the cooking and helps firm up the texture. Gently rub the noodles with your fingers as you rinse to remove excess starch and improve their chewiness.
Assemble the bowls. Divide the noodles between two chilled serving bowls. Pour the cold broth over the noodles, adding the ice cubes.
Arrange the brisket, egg, cucumber, pear, tomato, and coriander around the noodles. Place the kimchi (if using) and gochujang in the centre.
Add the kimchi to the centre of the bowl (if using) and the gochujiang.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately. Guests should stir in the gochujang before diving in.
