Korean Cold Buckwheat Noodles

Place 700 ml cold naengmyeon broth in the freezer for about 1 hour.

Remove it when thin ice crystals appear around the edges, then keep it very cold until the noodles are ready.

Julienne 1/2 cucumber into thin, crisp strips and cut 80 g pickled radish into bite-size lengths.

Halve 1 boiled egg cleanly so the yolk stays intact for topping.

Bring a large pot of water to a full boil and add 2 servings of naengmyeon noodles.

Cook only briefly, just until the strands loosen, then drain at once to prevent soft, swollen noodles.

Rub the cooked noodles by hand under cold running water to remove surface starch and buckwheat odor.

Finish with an ice-water rinse, then drain well so the broth does not become diluted.

Divide the drained noodles between cold bowls and pour in the icy broth.

Add enough broth to submerge the noodles, distributing the slushy ice evenly so both servings stay equally cold.

Top with cucumber, pickled radish, and the halved egg.

Stir in 2 tsp vinegar, 1 tsp Korean mustard, and 1 tsp sugar a little at a time, tasting so the broth stays sharp, cold, and balanced.