Jjapaguri

짜파구리

(Jjapagetti and Neoguri Combined)

Jjapaguri is a dish created by consumers. It is a combination of jjapagetti and neoguri, two types of instant noodles. Jjapagetti is the instant noodle version of jjajangmyeon. Neoguri, on the other hand, is an udon-style noodle with spicy soup flavoring. In Korea, this dish became popular in 2013 when the fathers in Dad! Where Are We Going?6 cooked it in their cooking showdown to know which dish appealed most to their children. However, jjapaguri gained fame overseas due to its appearance in the movie, Parasite.7

6 Dad! Where are we going?, directed by Jae Young Jeh and Hyun Chul Kim, starring Sung Joo Kim and Jong Hyuk Lee and Chong Gug Song and Dong Il Sung and Min Soo Young (2013; Seoul: MBC), Viu.

7 Parasite, directed by Joon Ho Bong, written by Jin Won Han and Joon Ho Bong, starring Kang Ho Sok and Woo Shik Choi (2019; Seoul: CJ ENM), Movie theater.

MAIN INGREDIENTs

• 200 grams rib eye steak
• 4 cups water
• 1 pack jjapagetti
• 1 pack neoguri

Seasoning for beef

• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 3 cloves garlic

How To prepare

1. Cut beef into bite-sized cubes and season with salt and pepper.
2. In a pot, heat water for noodles.

How To Cook

1. In a pan, put oil and garlic and sauté over low heat.
2. When you start to smell the aroma of garlic, add the beef and lightly stir-fry over high heat, then set aside.
3. When water in the pot starts to boil, add the vegetable flakes from the packet, then the noodles.
4. Cook for about 3 minutes. Strain the water from the noodles and leave just about half a cup of water.
5. Add powder from the packet, noodle sauce, and cooked beef chunks.
6. Turn heat on and stir-fry for another 1 to 2 minutes until everything is well mixed and cooked.
7. If desired, add the oil from the jjapagetti packet and stir well.

Chef’s Note

It is better to keep some water of the cooked noodles so you can use some of it for the noodles if they are too dry. Just be careful because if there is too much water, either the sauce will not be able to fully coat the noodles or it will have to be cooked for a long time.

 

This Dish Appears in the Following Korean Drama/s:

• Dad! Where Are We Going? (2013-2015) - MBC

   

 

CHEF REGGIE’S TIPS

VARIATIONS

• Spam Breakfast Jjapaguri: You can use caramelized Spam instead of beef. Coat Spam with sugar and pan-fry in a little oil until the sugar has caramelized. Follow Lily’s Jjapaguri recipe and finish with caramelized Spam, sliced avocado, and sous vide egg or fried egg. Drizzle with a little sesame oil and shredded nori before serving.
• Tapa Breakfast Jjapaguri: You can use your favorite tapa in this recipe (see below), in place of beef. Or you can marinate the meat this way. This is one of my favorite tapa recipes (you can make more and store the remaining for breakfast):

  1 kilo flank steak or sirloin, rib eye or tenderloin steak tapa, sliced into tapa cut (about 1/8-inch thick)

  8 tablespoons seasoned vinegar

  2 tablespoons pounded garlic

  4 1/2 tablespoons sugar

  4 tablespoons Knorr seasoning

  3 tablespoons vegetable oil

  1 3/4 teaspoons salt

  1 1/2 teaspoons pepper

  4 tablespoons chili sauce (I used Lee Kum Kee fine chili sauce for this recipe)

  1 tablespoon butter

1. Combine the rest of the ingredients except butter. Check seasoning. The flavors must be balanced and rounded.
2. Add in the beef and marinate overnight in the fridge or use a marinator.
3. Heat up a skillet with a little oil.
4. Fix each piece of tapa so that they are flat and cook batch by batch. Cook until nicely browned. Set aside.
5. Follow Lily’s Jjapaguri recipe and finish with a slice of avocado, more tapa strips, and sous vide egg or fried egg. Garnish with chopped green onions before serving.