Taking a deep dive in the Korean pantry, today we’ll discuss dangmyeon. These translucent noodles are at the center of japchae, a dish that also features stir fried vegetables and strong notes of garlic and sesame. This is something I always keep in my back pocket as it’s a great way to clean out your refrigerator since all you need are some vegetables, soy sauce, garlic, dangmyeon, and sesame oil. So what are dangmyeon (aka glass noodles, aka cellophane noodles)?

Dangmyeon are made from water and sweet potato starch. That’s it. They’re naturally gluten free and have a slightly sweet flavor. You’ll find them in the noodle section of your Asian market and store just like pasta. There are various cooking methods from person to person, but what I’d highly suggest is to follow the directions on the package and find what method works best for you and the brand of noodle you’re buying. The other important thing is to not be intimidated, it’s just like cooking pasta.