At the mention of sea snails with thin noodles, many have hesitated and pondered about the dish. However, the Korean Sea Snail with Thin Noodles, also known as Golbaengi-muchim, is a popular and nostalgic Korean dish loved by many, especially during the summer.
What makes Golbaengi so irresistible is the chewiness of the snail combined with crunchy vegetables and red pepper paste (gochujang). The mix creates a salad with a perfect combination of sweet, sour and spicy!
This Korean delicacy is usually served on top of cold, thin noodles with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. However, it can also be enjoyed by itself or with rice.
Fresh sea snails are usually hard to get out of its shell. Therefore, as an alternative, you can purchase a can of sea snails from a Korean grocery store or most local supermarkets. If it is not available, you can easily replace it with other types of seafood, such as clams, scallops or shrimps. Sea snails have a similar texture to clams. Now, let’s try making our own Korean Sea Snail with Thin Noodles with the ingredients below.
Ingredients (4 servings):
- 1 can sea snails/whelk
- 200 g thin noodles
- 1 cucumber (cut into strips)
- 1 small onion (cut into strips)
- 1 carrot (cut into strips)
- 2 green onions (cut into strips)
- 3 tbsp gochujang (red pepper paste)
- 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp salt
- Sesame seeds for garnish
Directions:
- Pour the sea snails into a colander and rinse under cold water for several minutes.
- Cut the sea snails into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
- Place the thin noodles in a pot of boiling water. Add 1 tbsp salt and cook the noodles for 3 minutes or as the package instructs. The cooked noodles will be chewy and soft.
- Then, drain the noodles and rinse under the cold water for a few minutes. Put the noodles aside.
- In a mixing bowl, mix the gochujang, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and minced garlic. Stir them thoroughly and adjust the taste according to your preference. Add in sea snails and vegetables and mix well.
- There are two ways to prepare this dish. The first is by mixing the salad and cold noodles into the mixing bowl. Mix them all and serve on a large plate. The second way is by plating the noodles and sea snail mix separately.
- Sprinkle the sesame seeds for the finishing touch and enjoy!
Cold and refreshing! It is an exotic meal is definitely worth trying, especially if you’re a fan of Korean food.
Check out our other Korean recipes made easy, such as Korean Spicy Sausage Stew and Fried Korean Vegetable Dumpling.
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