Sweet and Sour Golbaengi Muchim (Spicy Sea Snail Salad)
Golbaengi muchim tossed with fragrant water dropwort and crisp vegetables in a sweet and sour sauce.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
Toss crisp vegetables and sea snails in an aged sweet and spicy noodle sauce for a quick, flavorful dish. Mirin and black pepper remove any fishy taste, while water dropwort and cucumber provide a refreshing crunch that pairs perfectly with drinks.
- Servings
- 2–3 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Sea snails (golbaengi)1 can, 230 g (small can)
- Cucumber1/3
- Water dropwort (minari)50 g
- Carrot1/4 (each)
- Onion1/4 (each)
- Thin wheat noodles (somyeon)
Spicy noodle seasoning sauce
- Fine gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)2 tbsp
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)2 tbsp
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))1 tbsp
- Vinegar2–3 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)1 tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
- Ground black peppera little
- Toasted sesame oil1/2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds1/2 tbsp
- You can also use lettuce, cabbage, soybean sprouts, or chamnamul (short-fruit pimpinella).
- You can use squid instead of sea snails.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
This is 1 small can of sea snails.
I took out some vegetables from the fridge: water dropwort, cucumber, carrot, and onion.
Lettuce, cabbage, soybean sprouts, or chamnamul also work well.
Slice the ingredients
Slice the sea snails into bite-sized pieces and thinly julienne the vegetables.
Make the spicy seasoning sauce
For the spicy noodle sauce...
Mix 2 tbsp fine gochugaru, 2 tbsp gochujang, 1 tbsp regular soy sauce (or brewed soy sauce), 2 to 3 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp corn syrup, 1 tbsp sugar, and a little ground black pepper.
Because this is for sea snail salad, mirin and black pepper are added to eliminate any fishy taste.
Aging the sauce overnight or at least for an hour or two helps the flavors blend together, making it much smoother and more delicious.
You can add toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds right before eating.
Toss the ingredients
Do not add all the sliced vegetables and sauce at once; add about 2/3 of the sauce first and toss.
Taste it, then adjust by adding more sauce a little at a time.
Finish by adding toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds at the end.
Finish
The golbaengi muchim is finished.
It is also delicious if you toss squid instead of sea snails.
Grabbing a generous bite of vegetables and sea snails like this makes the ultimate bar snack.
Ppunwife's tips
- Mirin and black pepper are added to help remove any fishy taste from the sea snails.
- Aging the sauce overnight or at least for an hour or two helps the flavors blend together, making it much smoother and more delicious.
- Do not add all the sauce at once; start by tossing with about 2/3 of it, then taste and add more little by little.
- Enjoy it as a salad first, then boil some thin wheat noodles and toss them with the remaining sauce to quickly turn it into spicy bibim noodles.
FAQ
Is there a way to make the seasoning sauce taste even better?
Letting the sauce age in advance overnight or for at least an hour or two makes the flavor smoother and well-balanced.
Can I use ingredients other than sea snails?
You can use squid instead of sea snails, or make it using plenty of vegetables without any seafood.
What should I keep in mind when tossing the vegetables with the sauce?
It is best to start by mixing in only about two-thirds of the sauce, then taste and add more little by little to suit your preference.
Can I serve this with thin wheat noodles?
Yes, after enjoying the salad, you can toss boiled thin wheat noodles into the remaining sauce to eat it like bibim noodles.
