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Inspired by a One-Word Text: Jjamppong

  • Writer: Culinary Cam
    Culinary Cam
  • May 6
  • 3 min read

Updated: May 7

This is my tenth offering in the 2025 Alphabet Challenge, our second year of working our way through the alphabet with recipes. We post every other week for the entire alphabet and this is year two. Thanks for starting this series, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm.


J is for...


Let me start with this: unfortunately this post doesn't contain a recipe. But it does explain why I am on a journey to make this Korean dish. Soon!


One-Word Text


Back in December, R drove up to San Jose to meet one of his friends. They went to a Korean noodle house and he ordered Jjamppong. Then he sent me that one word in a text. No photo. No explanation. But I know what that means. Whenever anyone in my family does that it means: look this dish up and replicate it, please. Now. We have an understanding!

So I went down the Jjamppong rabbit hole. Jjamppong is a Chinese-style Korean noodle soup full of veggies and seafood in a pork-based broth.


My Attempts and Research


My first attempt was declared: okay, but not quite right. I had used clams instead of mussels and R definitely missed the flavor of the shellfish. My second attempt used mussels but lacked the spice R said it needed. Also, he said my noodles weren't quite right.


When we were in the Bay Area to pick up D before Spring Break, R and I went to the restaurant that was responsible for this research. This was the bowl. I asked the waiter about the noodles. They make them in-house with a mixture of wheat flour and sweet potato flour. Hmm...so, not gluten-free. I definitely need a different option for Jake.



Then we went to one of our favorite Korean restaurants here in town and I saw it on the menu. I had never seen it on the menu before! So we ordered it.



Now that I have sampled a few different bowls and gotten feedback from R, I feel more confident in attempting Jjamppong again. You know the saying: third time's the charm! One can always hope.



If you have successfully made this dish, I'd love any tips. Or if you also love Jjamppong, tell me what you love about it. Maybe I will incorporate your suggestions into my next batch.


Just to inspire you to cook through the alphabet. Here's some inspiration!


This Time Last Year...

My posts are below with links to everyone else's recipes. I skipped letter 'F' apparently. Enjoy!



So Far This Year...

Again: my posts are below with links to everyone else's recipes.



That's a wrap for my offering for the letter 'j'. We will be back in two weeks with the letter 'k'. Stay tuned!



 
 
 

12 Comments


Radha
3 days ago

Looks delicious! Time for me to go into the rabbit hole and learn more about it.

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srushtonkl
5 days ago

If you have an HMart nearby, you can probably buy the right noodles. Mine has an enormous selection of both dry and refrigerated ones. I found these with a quick search but don't know how they compare with the original restaurant ones. https://www.hmart.com/fresh-udon---jjajang-noodle-2-2lb-1kg-/p

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Mayuri Patel
May 08

Hope the soup turns out perfect when you try it out next. Sorry I don't have any input for this dish. It is so funny and sometimes irritating when friends and family too send a photo or just the dish name. Now I understand why.

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Karen Kerr
Karen Kerr
May 07

I wish I knew more about this dish so I could give tips! Yours does look good to me.

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Culinary Cam
Culinary Cam
May 08
Replying to

He told me that mine had too many vegetables. LOL.

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Kelly Hill
Kelly Hill
May 07

Ah yes, that quest to reproduce something when you have limited info! Looks like and amazing Korean cioppino. I will have to ask my friend about it, she is Korean!

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Kelly Hill
Kelly Hill
7 days ago
Replying to

So she said she loves jjamppong but doesn't ever make jjiamppong, because it's way easier to just buy it. It's Chinese Korean food and they go to a local place that gives huge quantities and charges very little. She did share a link for the dish which although she hasn't made, comes from what she considers a very reputable source. If your commenting allows links it will show, otherwise I will share it with you on FB. https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/jjamppong

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