Kongguksu (Korean Cold Soy Milk Noodles)

Cooked white soybeans are peeled as thoroughly as possible to reduce any bitterness, then blended with cold water, sesame seeds, and salt until the mixture is smooth and creamy. The resulting soy broth is refrigerated until genuinely cold before use -- adding ice directly to the bowl would thin it out, so proper chilling in advance is the standard approach. Somyeon noodles are boiled until just cooked through, then rinsed vigorously under cold running water and briefly submerged in ice water to firm up their texture before being placed in the serving bowl. The cold soy broth is poured generously over the noodles, and julienned cucumber is arranged on top for color and crunch. Seasoning is personal: some eat it with salt only, others stir in a small amount of sugar. Straining the broth once through a fine mesh sieve eliminates any remaining gritty bits and gives the finished soup a noticeably silkier mouthfeel. High in plant protein and relatively light on the stomach despite its richness, it is exactly the kind of cold dish that makes summer heat more bearable. Black soybeans blended in alongside white ones deepen both the color and the toasty, nutty flavor.