Jjamppong 쩜뽕 - Korean Noodle Soup with red, spicy seafood or pork-based broth flavourful with gochugaru (chilli powder).

The very first time I heard about jjamppong was when I watch Running Man (a Korean variety show). The Chinese subtitle translated it as 海鲜面, which literally means seafood noodles, so I always thought it should be made with seafood. But turns out that's not true.

Here's what Wikipedia says: Although the dish was inspired by Shandong-style chǎomǎmiàn (炒码面), the name of the dish was derived from chanpon, a Japanese Chinese dish derived from Fujian-style mènmiàn (焖面).

The base broth of Jjamppong mainly uses stir fried seafood and vegetables with the addition of gochugaru (chili powder). The key to getting this red and yummy broth is to saute ginger and garlic until the aroma is infused into the oil and then add the gochugaru and fry over low heat until you get that nice bright red chili oil.

That being said, jjamppong can be made with or without seafood. We can always use plant-based ingredients to create that umami flavour, such as mushrooms which is what I used.

Making this recipe for many times I finally got it right. It reminded me of the first meal we had in Korean. That's another story, maybe I'll tell you another time. @ Jeju Island, South Korea - 제주도