A Taste of Asia: Korean cold noodles make a perfect summer dish

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After tasting Qishan noodles in China, now let's head to South Korea, where cold buckwheat noodles is a signature dish in the country. Served with icy broth, the noodles make a perfect summer dish. CGTN's Jack Barton has more from Chuncheon city.

Korean cold noodles might not be as famous as BBQ abroad, but on the peninsula, the unifying power of this national dish cannot be overstated.

JACK BARTON CHUNCHEON MAKGUKSU MUSEUM "When Kim Jong-un met with President Moon Jae-in for their first summit last year he brought with him Pyongyang Naengmyeon, which is of course the DPRK's signature noodle dish."

The closest South Korean equivalent is Makguksu, because it is also made from the very first cold noodle ingredient here: buckwheat.

KIM SI-MOK, CULTURE TOUR GUIDE CHUNCHEON MAKGUKSU MUSEUM "The buckwheat is not originally from here it is from the northeast part of China. It might have been brought here around the three kingdoms period around the 6th century. It began being cultivated at temples in mountain areas, and we started to eat it by making noodles."

In Korea buckwheat is considered a cooling food and its products hard to store, so a simple technique was developed: grind the flour, knead the dough then press out some noodles for quick consumption using bodyweight.

JACK BARTON CHUNCHEON MAKGUKSU MUSEUM "Who would have thought noodle making could be so much fun."

Many popular cold noodle dishes like bibim and mul naengmyeon now use starch from potatoes and sweet potatoes, but the technique is similar.

The fresh noodles get a quick boil before being separated and chilled, topped with fresh vegetables and condiments like vinegar, mustard and sesame oil, and, in this case, Makguksu sauce.

Today its Chinese tourists are doing the taste testing.

CHINESE TOURIST "I can handle the noodles myself without the help of my parents. Delicious".

CHINESE TOURIST "So yummy."

Like many Korean dishes, there is a DIY hands-on element.

JEON KYUNG-SOO, HEAD OF TEAMMAKGUKSU EXPERIENCE CENTER "We use the same technique as our ancestors, we use our hands to knead and press the dough by hand and then we eat them."

Finally, the crowd clears and I get a chance to try Asian noodles with a distantly Korean twist.

JACK BARTON CHUNCHEON MAKGUKSU MUSEUM "Delicious, but also really fresh. This is great food for hot weather, perfect for the summer."

Which means, in the northern hemisphere, cold noodle season is just around the corner. Jack Barton, CGTN, in Chuncheon.