On South Korea's Black Day, singles commonly eat jajangmyeon, a black bean noodle dish.
Black Day is observed on April 14, following Valentine's Day on February 14 and White Day on March 14. It is associated especially with people who did not receive romantic gifts on either earlier occasion. Friends may gather, wear black or simply treat the day as a humorous celebration of single life.
Jajangmyeon consists of wheat noodles covered with a thick sauce made from chunjang, a fermented black-bean paste, along with ingredients such as pork and vegetables. Its dark sauce gives the dish its connection with Black Day. Restaurants serving Korean-Chinese food commonly offer it at an inexpensive price, making it a practical communal meal.
The dish has Chinese roots but developed into a distinctly Korean-Chinese specialty. It was introduced by migrants from China's Shandong region in the late nineteenth century, especially around Incheon. Korean versions generally use a darker and sweeter sauce than Chinese zhajiangmian. “Jjajangmyeon” is also an accepted spelling, but “jajangmyeon” is a canonical answer to the quiz question.