Japchae

Japchae is sweet potato starch noodles stir-fried with vegetables and beef in sesame oil and soy. It is a glossy, chewy side dish built for celebrations and buffet tables, holding its texture and shine long after most stir-fries would have gone limp.

What it really is

Sweet potato starch noodles are boiled briefly until translucent and springy, a texture entirely different from wheat or rice noodles, then stir-fried separately from thin strips of beef and a handful of vegetables — carrot, spinach, mushroom — each cooked just enough to keep its own colour and bite. Everything is tossed together at the end in soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil, coating the noodles in a glossy dark sheen rather than a wet sauce.

Each component is cooked on its own before it's combined. Throwing everything into one pan at once would overcook the delicate vegetables long before the tougher noodles were ready; keeping them separate until the final toss is what lets every ingredient keep its own texture and colour.

How it is served

• At room temperature or warm, rarely piping hot.
• As one of several dishes on a shared table, especially at celebrations.
• Garnished with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

How to write it on the menu

• Flag the soy and the sesame oil.
• Say if beef is included, since a vegetarian version leaving it out is common and easy to offer.
• Note that it holds well at room temperature, since guests sometimes expect a stir-fry to arrive hot.