Korean Aged Kimchi Tuna Mixed Noodles

Scrape the seasoning paste from 120 g aged kimchi, and if it tastes overly sour, rinse it for only 10 seconds.

Squeeze out excess moisture, then chop it finely so the acidity spreads evenly through the noodles.

Drain 100 g canned tuna in a sieve until oil or liquid no longer drips, since extra moisture will loosen the sauce.

Slice 20 g scallion thinly, keeping half aside for the final topping.

In a large bowl, stir 1.5 tablespoons gochujang with 1 tablespoon each vinegar, oligosaccharide syrup, and sesame oil.

Mix until smooth before adding noodles, so no thick clumps of paste remain in the finished bowl.

Add 200 g medium wheat noodles to boiling water and cook over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Taste one strand, and drain as soon as the center is no longer hard.

Rub the noodles under cold running water to remove surface starch and firm up the texture.

Shake them several times in the sieve until almost no droplets fall, because wet noodles keep the sauce from clinging.

Add the noodles, chopped aged kimchi, drained tuna, and half the scallion to the sauce, then toss by lifting with chopsticks so the strands stay separate. Taste, adjust with tiny amounts of vinegar or syrup, and finish with scallion and ground sesame.