''Doenjang'' * () or soybean paste is a type of

fermented bean paste Fermented bean paste is a category of fermented foods typically made from ground soybeans, which are indigenous to the cuisines of East, South and Southeast Asia. In some cases, such as the production of '' miso'', other varieties of beans, such ...

made entirely of

soybean The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean. Soy is a staple crop, the world's most grown legume, and an important animal feed. Soy is a key source o ...

and

brine Brine (or briny water) is a high-concentration solution of salt (typically sodium chloride or calcium chloride) in water. In diverse contexts, ''brine'' may refer to the salt solutions ranging from about 3.5% (a typical concentration of seawat ...

used in

Korean cuisine Korean cuisine is the set of foods and culinary styles which are associated with Korean culture. This cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient Prehistoric Korea, agricultural and nomad ...

. It is also a byproduct of soup soy sauce production. It is sometimes used as a

relish A relish (a pickle-based condiment) is a cooking, cooked and pickling, pickled culinary dish made of chopped vegetables, fruits or herbs, typically used as a condiment to enhance a staple. Examples are chutneys and the North American relish, a p ...

History

The earliest soybean fermentations in

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

seem to have begun prior to the era of the

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from AD 220 to 280 following the end of the Han dynasty. This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and followed by the Jin dynasty (266–420), Western Jin dyna ...

. The ''

Records of the Three Kingdoms The ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'' is a Chinese official history written by Chen Shou in the late 3rd century CE, covering the end of the Han dynasty (220 CE) and the subsequent Three Kingdoms period (220–280 CE). It is regard ...

'', a Chinese historical text written and published in the third century AD, mentions that "

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC – 668 AD) (; ; Old Korean: Guryeo) also later known as Goryeo (; ; Middle Korean: 고ᇢ롕〮, ''kwòwlyéy''), was a Korean kingdom which was located on the northern and central parts of the Korea, Korean Peninsula an ...

people are good at brewing fermented soybeans" in the section named ''Dongyi'' (Eastern foreigners) in the '' Book of Wei''. Jangdoks used for doenjang production are found in the

mural A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' ...

paintings of Anak Tomb No. 3 from the 4th century

. In the '' Samguk sagi'', a historical record of the

Three Kingdoms of Korea The Three Kingdoms of Korea or Samhan (Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla) competed for hegemony over the Korea, Korean Peninsula during the ancient period of History of Korea, Korean history. During the Three Kingdoms period (), many states and statele ...

, it is written that ''doenjang'' and '' ganjang,'' along with ''

meju ''Meju'' () is a brick of dried fermented soybeans. While not consumed on its own, it serves as the basis of several Korean condiments, such as '' doenjang'' (soybean paste), '' ganjang'' (soy sauce), and gochujang (chili paste). ''Meju'' is prod ...

'' and ''

jeotgal ''Jeotgal'' () or ''jeot'' (), translated as salted seafood, is a category of salted preserved dishes made with seafood such as shrimps, oysters, clams, fish, and roe. Depending on the ingredients, ''jeotgal'' can range from flabby or solid pi ...

,'' were prepared for the

wedding ceremony A wedding is a ceremony in which two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnicities, races, religions, denominations, countries, social classes, and sexual orientations. Most wed ...

of King Sinmun in February 683. ''Sikhwaji'', a section from ''

Goryeosa ''Goryeosa'' (), or ''History of Goryeo'', is an extensive historical record of the Goryeo dynasty, compiled by the officials of Goryeo's successor state, Joseon. Its compilation started during the reign of Taejo of Joseon, Taejo (the founding ...

'' (History of Goryeo), recorded that ''doenjang'' and ''ganjang'' were included in the relief supplies in 1018, after a Khitan invasion, and in 1052, when a

famine A famine is a widespread scarcity of food caused by several possible factors, including, but not limited to war, natural disasters, crop failure, widespread poverty, an Financial crisis, economic catastrophe or government policies. This phenom ...

occurred.

Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

texts such as '' Guhwangchwaryo'' and '' Jeungbo sallim gyeongje'' contain detailed procedures on how to brew good-quality ''doenjang'' and ''ganjang''. '' Gyuhap Chongseo'' explains how to pick a date for brewing, what to forbear, and how to keep and preserve ''doenjang'' and ''ganjang''.

Production

''Doenjang'' is made entirely of fermented soybean and brine. Soup soy sauce is also made during the ''doenjang'' production. ''

Meju ''Meju'' () is a brick of dried fermented soybeans. While not consumed on its own, it serves as the basis of several Korean condiments, such as '' doenjang'' (soybean paste), '' ganjang'' (soy sauce), and gochujang (chili paste). ''Meju'' is prod ...

'', Korean

brick, is made around '' ipdong'' in early November. Soybeans are soaked overnight, boiled in salt water, and then pounded in a mortar ('' jeolgu'') or coarsely ground in a millstone. About a ''doe'' (≈1.8

litre The litre ( Commonwealth spelling) or liter ( American spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metres (m3). A ...

s) or two ''doe''s of pounded soybean is chunked, compressed, and shaped into a cube or a sphere called ''meju''. The ''meju'' bricks are then dried in a cool, shaded area for a week to several weeks until firm. When the bricks harden, they are tied with rice straws to the

eaves The eaves are the edges of the roof which overhang the face of a wall and, normally, project beyond the side of a building. The eaves form an overhang to throw water clear of the walls and may be highly decorated as part of an architectural sty ...

of the house, or put in the warm

ondol (; , ; ) or ''gudeul'' (; ) in Korean traditional architecture is underfloor heating that uses direct heat transfer from wood smoke to heat the underside of a thick masonry floor. In modern usage, it refers to any type of underfloor heating, or ...

room with rice straws, for

fermentation Fermentation is a type of anaerobic metabolism which harnesses the redox potential of the reactants to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and organic end products. Organic molecules, such as glucose or other sugars, are catabolized and reduce ...

. In Jeongwol, the first month of the lunar year, well-fermented ''meju'' bricks are washed and sun-dried. After drying, the ''meju'' bricks are aged in

onggi ''Onggi'' () is earthenware extensively used as tableware and storage containers in Korea. The term includes both ceramic glaze, unglazed earthenware, fired near 600 to 700°C, and pottery with a dark brown ceramic glaze, glaze fired at over 1100 ...

crocks ( jangdok) with brine. Charcoal and chillies are added for their absorbent and antibacterial properties, as well as folk-religious beliefs that they drive evil spirits away. When fermented well, the aged ''meju'' chunks are mashed to become ''doenjang'', and the filtrate is boiled to become '' ganjang''.

Types

Though ''doenjang'' and '' ganjang'' are usually made together, ''doenjang'' can also be made without producing any filtrate. * ''Tojang'' () – When the aged brine is boiled to become ''ganjang'', the rest (aged ''

'' chunks) are mashed to become ''tojang''. * ''Jangjae'' () – Smaller amount of brine is used from the beginning. No soy sauce is produced in the process, and the ''meju'' aged with the smaller amount of

becomes ''jangjae'', another type of ''doenjang''. While traditional ''doenjang'' is made with soybeans and brine only, many factory-made variants of ''doenjang'' contain a fair amount of wheat flour just like most factory-made soy sauce does. Some current makers also add fermented, dried, and ground anchovies to accentuate ''doenjangs savory flavor. Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's ''Food Code'' classifies ''doenjang'' into three categories by their ingredients. * ''Hansik-doenjang'' (, "Korean-style fermented soybean paste") – ''doenjang'' made with traditional style ''meju'' and brine. * ''Doenjang'' (, "fermented soybean paste") – ''doenjang'' made with non-traditional ''meju'' (which can be made of

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

barley Barley (), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains; it was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 9000 BC, giving it nonshattering spikele ...

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

or degreased soybean, and ripened using traditional method or ''Aspergillus'') and saline solution. * ''Seasoned doenjang'' () – product that contains more than 90% of ''doenjang'' or ''hansik-doenjang''.

Use

''Doenjang'' can be eaten as a condiment in raw-paste form with vegetables, as flavored seasoning or even as a dipping condiment. However, it is more commonly mixed with garlic,

sesame oil Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. The oil is one of the earliest-known crop-based oils. Worldwide mass modern production is limited due to the inefficient manual harvesting process required to extract the oil. ...

, and sometimes ''

gochujang ''Gochujang'' or red chili paste * is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from '' gochugaru'' (red chili powder), glutinous rice, '' meju'' (fermented soybean) powder, ''yeotgireum'' (barley m ...

'' to produce ''

ssamjang ''Ssamjang'' () is a thick, spicy paste used with food wrapped in a leaf in Korean cuisine. The sauce is made of fermented soy beans ('' doenjang''), red chili paste ('' gochujang''), sesame oil, onion, garlic, green onions, and optionally br ...

'', which is then traditionally eaten with or without rice wrapped in

leaf vegetable Leaf vegetables, also called leafy greens, vegetable greens, or simply greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by their petioles and shoots, if tender. Leaf vegetables eaten raw in a salad can be called salad gre ...

s such as red leaf lettuce. This dish is called ''

ssambap ' () are dishes in Korean cuisine where one food is wrapped in another. A common variety is meat such as pork wrapped in a leafy vegetable.samgyeopsal'', '' bulgogi'', ''

bibimbap Bibimbap * ( ; ), sometimes Romanization of Korean, romanised as bi bim bap or bi bim bop, is a Korean rice dish. The term ''bibim'' means "mixing" and ''Bap (rice dish), bap'' is cooked rice. It is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped wi ...

'' and '' bossam''. It can also be used as a component of soup broth, as in the popular stew '' doenjang jjigae'', which usually includes

tofu or bean curd is a food prepared by Coagulation (milk), coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness: ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', and ''extra (or super) firm''. It originated in Chin ...

, various vegetables such as chile peppers,

zucchini Zucchini (; : ''zucchini'' or ''zucchinis''), courgette () or ''Cucurbita pepo'' is a summer squash, a Vine, vining herbaceous plant whose fruit are harvested when their immature seeds and Fruit anatomy#Epicarp, epicarp (rind) are still soft a ...

, and

scallion Scallions (also known as green onions and spring onions) are edible vegetables of various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions. Their close relatives include garlic, shallots, leeks, chive ...

, and (optionally)

mushrooms A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. ''Toadstool'' generally refers to a poisonous mushroom. The standard for the name "mushroom" is ...

red meat In gastronomy, red meat is commonly red when raw (and a dark color after it is cooked), in contrast to white meat, which is pale in color before (and after) cooking. In culinary terms, only flesh from mammals or fowl (not fish) is classified ...

, or

scallop Scallop () is a common name that encompasses various species of marine bivalve molluscs in the taxonomic family Pectinidae, the scallops. However, the common name "scallop" is also sometimes applied to species in other closely related famili ...

Nutrition and health

''Doenjang'' is rich in

flavonoid Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

s and beneficial vitamins,

mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2011): Mi ...

s, and

plant hormone Plant hormones (or phytohormones) are signal molecules, produced within plants, that occur in extremely low concentrations. Plant hormones control all aspects of plant growth and development, including embryogenesis, the regulation of Organ (anat ...

s (phytoestrogens) which are sometimes claimed to possess anti-

carcinogen A carcinogen () is any agent that promotes the development of cancer. Carcinogens can include synthetic chemicals, naturally occurring substances, physical agents such as ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, and biologic agents such as viruse ...

ic properties. In Korean traditional meals, the menu has concentrated on vegetables and rice, but ''doenjang'', which is made of soybeans, has a great deal of

lysine Lysine (symbol Lys or K) is an α-amino acid that is a precursor to many proteins. Lysine contains an α-amino group (which is in the protonated form when the lysine is dissolved in water at physiological pH), an α-carboxylic acid group ( ...

, an essential amino acid that rice lacks.

Linoleic acid Linoleic acid (LA) is an organic compound with the formula . Both alkene groups () are ''cis''. It is a fatty acid sometimes denoted 18:2 (n−6) or 18:2 ''cis''-9,12. A linoleate is a salt or ester of this acid. Linoleic acid is a polyunsat ...

(53% of the fatty acids) and linolenic acid (8% of the fatty acids) have an important role in normal growth of blood vessels and prevention of blood vessel-related illness. ''Doenjangs efficacy still exists after boiling, in dishes such as ''doenjang jjigae''. Claims are being explored about the role of ''doenjang'' in reducing visceral fat, though most studies have only been done on rodents. However, one study on humans does exist, which suggests that its visceral fat reduction properties are also present in humans.

Outside Korea

''Doenjang'' is considered one of the essential sauces of authentic Korean cuisine. However, the condiment has historically been unknown outside of Korea, although recent international articles have resulted in an increase in its popularity. A 2007 Chinese article on the "Sauces of Korea" listed ''doenjang'' and ''

'' as essential flavorings, and explored the origins of the condiments, particularly focusing on Sunchang County, where most Korean soy sauce is produced. The article pointed out that ''doenjang'' does not contain any artificial additives and in fact has healthy amounts of essential vitamins, such as

vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits, berries and vegetables. It is also a generic prescription medication and in some countries is sold as a non-prescription di ...

and vitamin B₁₂. The health benefits of ''doenjang'' are rumored to extend longevity, and this is illustrated by the fact that out of the 32,000 people in Sunchang County, eight are over 100 years old, and many are over 90. The article was influential throughout China, resulting in many Chinese restaurants adding ''doenjang jjigae'' to their menus shortly after publication. South Korea's ''JoongAng Ilbo'' covered this story in China on December 13, 2007.

In culture

" ''Doenjang'' girl" is a slang term for women who indulge in luxurious products to show off despite not being able to afford them, and eat low-priced basic food at home.실사로 보는… '이것이 된장녀의 하루!'
The Hanguk 13 February 2007

References

External links

Different ways of consuming Doenjang (video)Photo of South Korea-produced ''doenjang''
* * {{Soy Korean words and phrases Fermented soy-based foods Food paste Korean condiments Korean inventions Umami enhancers