2016 Homestuff Foodie Finds: Instant Jja Jung Men

Paldo Jja Jung Men - Instant Noodles & Sauce

So, just trying something new, since I have been touching on foodie finds locally and out of town, and on top of that some frilly bits here and there, I figured hey, why not try some foods you can bring home and make? So here's the first one - Paldo's instant Jja Jung Men.



(image courtesy of 3 Hungry Tummies)

So this is a Korean brand instant noodle with sauce, based on the Chinese noodle dish (see above). This version however is vegan - using potatoes and soy beans to create not only the sauce but all the bits in the sauce. The original Chinese version typically uses ground pork, hoisin sauce, dark and light soy sauces, some green onion and sesame oil that's tossed onto on a thin flat noodle which you can also add julienne cucumbers, bean sprouts and whatever other greens you like.



So this is very much a simplified version with a Korean twist that you can have ready in just a few minutes. The nice part is if you're watching your calories, it's also a lot leaner than other instant noodles in that department (weighing in just under 300 calories per packet). I think that may be because there's less noodle or that the noodles aren't as dense but who really knows? 



Anyhoo, the instructions tell you to boil the noodles and slip the sauce package into the boiling water for a minute. I'm lazy so I just pop the sauce packet in and put the noodles on top so they don't stick to the pot. I pull it out once it's ready and I personally like to put the sauce in the bottom of the bowl, but most people wait and pour it over the noodles.



The noodles seem to boil pretty quickly - note the water is on the oily side somehow so be sure to rinse and drain those suckers well. Pop the noodles into the bowl, add the sauce and away you go. If you're finding the sauce a bit hard to mix in, add a touch of water and that should make it easier.



Anyhoo, while not an authentic taste, I do find these noodles delicious for an instant noodle. It's not soupy but the sauce is pretty rich - the noodles have a nice chew to them and the potatoes are nice and soft. The soy beans they somehow processed and almost have the texture of meat. I love the taste of the sauce itself which lends itself to go over pretty much any starch. I'd not recommend eating it on its own since it's pretty potent stuff.

Anyhoo, that was my foodie find. Since I first bought this (it was hard to find a few months ago except at the tiny Asian grocery store near my house) it has become a lot more readily available though pricey since they only come in packages of 4 compared to other noodle packs (H-mart had them for about $7 yikes! my local grocer has them at $5.75). Either way, worth a try at the very least :)