Korean Spicy Cold Noodles

In a pot, combine gochujang, a bit of vegetable stock, and a touch of shiitake & chili-infused soy sauce.

Bring the mixture to a simmer over heat, stirring to dissolve the gochujang and remove its raw harshness.

Once it simmers, turn off the heat and let the sauce cool down to room temperature.

Cook the fresh noodles in a pot of boiling water. They cook very quickly.

Immediately after cooking, shock the noodles in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain well.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the thinly sliced cucumber and shredded red cabbage.

Add a fingertip's worth of grated ginger to the bowl.

Add the cooled, drained noodles to the bowl with the vegetables.

Pour the prepared sauce base over the noodles, then add sesame oil, fermented plum syrup, and rice vinegar.

Toss everything together thoroughly until the noodles and vegetables are well-coated with the sauce.

Transfer the noodles to a serving plate.

Garnish with a sprinkle of toasted, ground perilla seeds.

Top with fresh minari (Korean water parsley).

Finish with a drizzle of basil oil and charred leek oil for extra aroma.