Japchae

Japchae (잡채; 雜菜) a sweet and savory dish of stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables that is popular in Korean cuisine; once a royal dish, it is now one of the most popular traditional celebration dishes, often served on special occasions, such as weddings, birthdays (especially dol, the first birthday, and hwangap, the sixtieth), and holidays.

It is also popular for feeding crowds at banquets, parties, and potlucks, due to the ease of bulk preparation and serving flexibility: japchae can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold from the refrigerator, and can be eaten freshly made or the next day.

Japchae is commonly served as a banchan (side dish), though it may also be a main dish. It is sometimes served on a bed of rice: with rice, it is known as Japchae-bap (잡채밥).

There are nwadys many variations of Japchae using different ingredients. Usually noodles are nicely paired with thin strips of beef (or pork), chicken and various vegetables. Typical vegetable options include carrots, spinach, onions, mushrooms, cucumbers, bell peppers, garlic chives, etc.