Doenjang ( or [twendʒ͡aŋ]) is a traditional
KoreaKorea is a civilization and formerly unified nation currently divided into two states. Located on the Korean Peninsula, it borders China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait....
n
fermentedFermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. A more restricted definition of fermentation is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
soybeanThe soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia. The plant is classed as an oilseed rather than a pulse. It is an annual plant that has been used in China for 5,000 years to primarily add nitrogen into the soil as part of crop rotation...
paste. Its name literally means "thick paste" in
KoreanKorean is the official language of North Korea and South Korea. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers. It was formerly written using Hanja, borrowed Chinese characters pronounced in the Korean...
.
To produce
doenjang, dried soybeans are boiled and stone-ground into coarse bits. This paste is then formed into blocks, which are called
mejuMeju, also known as maljang , is a brick of dried fermented soybeans in Korean cuisine. While not consumed on its own, it serves as the basis of several Korean condiments, such as doenjang, soy sauce, or gochujang. Meju is produced by boiling soybeans, then crushing them in a mortar. Frequently,...
. The blocks are then exposed to sunlight or warmth. They are then dried; this exposure to the air allows Bacillus subtillis to begin the fermentation process.
Doenjang ( or [twendʒ͡aŋ]) is a traditional
KoreaKorea is a civilization and formerly unified nation currently divided into two states. Located on the Korean Peninsula, it borders China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait....
n
fermentedFermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. A more restricted definition of fermentation is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
soybeanThe soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia. The plant is classed as an oilseed rather than a pulse. It is an annual plant that has been used in China for 5,000 years to primarily add nitrogen into the soil as part of crop rotation...
paste. Its name literally means "thick paste" in
KoreanKorean is the official language of North Korea and South Korea. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers. It was formerly written using Hanja, borrowed Chinese characters pronounced in the Korean...
.
Production
To produce
doenjang, dried soybeans are boiled and stone-ground into coarse bits. This paste is then formed into blocks, which are called
mejuMeju, also known as maljang , is a brick of dried fermented soybeans in Korean cuisine. While not consumed on its own, it serves as the basis of several Korean condiments, such as doenjang, soy sauce, or gochujang. Meju is produced by boiling soybeans, then crushing them in a mortar. Frequently,...
. The blocks are then exposed to sunlight or warmth. They are then dried; this exposure to the air allows Bacillus subtillis to begin the fermentation process. The Bacillus subtillis reproduce consuming soybean protein and water in the meju, the soybean blocks. Production of spores by the bacteria results in an unpleasant ammonia smell during the fermentation. One to three months later, depending on the block size, the meju are put into large opaque
potteryPottery is the ceramic ware made by potters. Major types of pottery include earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain. The places where such wares are made are called potteries. Pottery is one of the oldest human technologies and art-forms, and remains a major industry today...
jars with brine and left to further ferment, during which time various beneficial
bacteriaThe bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
transform the mixture into a further
vitaminA vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism. The term 'vitamin' first became popular in the early 1800's as a contraction of the words 'vital' and 'mineral', though the actual meaning of the word has developed somewhat since that time...
-enriched substance (similar to the way
milkMilk is an opaque white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It provides the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. The early lactation milk is known as colostrum, and carries the mother's antibodies to the baby. It can reduce...
ferments to become yogurt). Liquids and solids are separated after the fermentation process, and the liquid becomes Korean soy sauce (Joseon ganjang; ). The solid, which is
doenjang, is very
saltA salt, in chemistry, is an ionic compound, and can result from the neutralization reaction of acids and bases. Salts are ionic compounds composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
y and quite thick, often containing (unlike most
misois a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and the fungus , the most typical miso being made with soy. The result is a thick paste used for sauces and spreads, pickling vegetables or meats, and mixing with dashi soup stock to serve as miso...
) some whole, uncrushed soybeans.
While traditional homemade
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
anchoviesThe anchovies are a family of small, common salt-water forage fish. There are about 140 species in 16 genera, found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Anchovies are usually classified as an oily fish.-Description:...
to accentuate the
doenjangs savoury flavour.
Use
Doenjang
can be eaten as a condiment in raw paste-form with vegetables, similar to the way some people dip celery into cheese, but it is more commonly mixed with garlic, sesame oilSesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. Besides being used as a cooking oil in South India, it is often used as a flavor enhancer in Chinese, Korean, and to a lesser extent Southeast Asian cuisine.-Composition:Sesame oil is composed of the following fatty acids:Sesame oil...
, and sometimes gochujangGochujang is a savory and pungent fermented Korean condiment. Traditionally, it has been naturally fermented over years in large earthen pots outdoors, more often on an elevated stone platform, called jangdokdae in the backyard.-History:...
to produce ssamjangSsamjang is a thick, spicy paste used with food wrapped in a leaf in Korean cuisine. The sauce is made of doenjang, gochujang, sesame oil, onion, garlic, green onions, and optionally brown sugar.-Use:...
which is then traditionally eaten with or without rice wrapped in leaf vegetableLeaf vegetables, also called potherbs, green vegetables, greens, or leafy greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots...
s such as Chinese cabbageChinese cabbage , also known as snow cabbage, is a Chinese leaf vegetable often used in Chinese cuisine. The vegetable is related to the Western cabbage, and is of the same species as the common turnip...
. This dish is called ssambap
. Like this, doenjang is basic sauce when Koreans eat samgyeopsalSamgyeopsal is a popular Korean dish. Commonly served as an evening meal, it consists of thick, fatty slices of pork belly meat . The meat is not marinated or seasoned, and cooked on a grill at the diners' table...
, which is one of the most popular meat dishes.
It can also be used as a component of soup broth, for example in a popular stew (jjigaeJjigae is a Korean stew. A typical jjigae is heavily seasoned with chili pepper and served boiling hot. A Korean meal almost always includes either a jjigae or a guk ....
) called doenjang jjigaeDoenjang jjigae is a variety of jjigae or stew-like Korean traditional dish, made with doenjang and available ingredients such as vegetables, mushrooms, seafood, or dubu . It is regarded as one of the representative dishes of commoners' food in Korea.-External links:* at JoongAng Daily...
which usually includes tofuor called toufu, bean curd is a soft white food made by coagulating soy milk, and then pressing the resulting curds into blocks. It is of Chinese origin, and part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and others. There are many different varieties...
, various vegetables such as chile peppers, zucchiniZucchini or courgette is a small summer squash. Along with some other squashes, it belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo...
and welsh onionAllium fistulosum L., widely known as the Welsh Onion, Bunching Onion, or Spring Onion, is a member of the onion family, Alliaceae. The species is very similar in taste and odor to the related garden onion, Allium cepa, and hybrids between the two exist...
, and (optionally) mushroomsEdible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruiting bodies of several species of fungi. They belong to the macrofungi, because their fruiting structures are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. They can appear either above or below ground where they may be picked by hand...
, red meatRed meat in culinary terminology refers to meat which is red-colored when raw. Red meat includes the meat of many—but not all—mammals.- Gastronomy :In gastronomy, red meat is darker-colored meat, as contrasted with white meat...
, or scallopA scallop is a marine bivalve mollusc of the family Pectinidae. Scallops are a cosmopolitan family, found in all of the world's oceans. Many scallops are highly prized as a food source...
s.
Nutrition and health
Doenjang
is rich in flavonoidFlavonoids , also collectively known as Vitamin P and citrin, are a class of plant secondary metabolites. According to the IUPAC nomenclature, they can be classified into:...
s and beneficial vitamins, mineralA mineral is a naturally occurring solid formed through geological processes that has a characteristic chemical composition, a highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. A rock, by comparison, is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids, and need not have a specific...
s, and hormonesPlant hormones are chemicals that regulate plant growth, which, in the UK, are termed 'plant growth substances'. Plant hormones are signal molecules produced within the plant, and occur in extremely low concentrations. Hormones regulate cellular processes in targeted cells locally and when moved...
which are sometimes claimed to possess anti-carcinogenA carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide or radiation that is an agent directly involved in the promotion of cancer or in the increase of its propagation. This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes...
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, an essential amino acid that rice lacks. There are linoleic acidLinoleic acid is an unsaturated omega-6 fatty acid. It is a colorless liquid. In physiological literature, it is called 18:2. Chemically, linoleic acid is a carboxylic acid with an 18-carbon chain and two cis double bonds; the first double bond is located at the sixth carbon from the omega...
of 53% and linolenic acidLinolenic acid can refer to either of two fatty acids:*α-Linolenic acid – an ω-3 fatty acid found in many vegetable oils. The unmodified term linolenic acid most commonly refers to this substance.*γ-Linolenic acid – an ω-6 fatty acid...
of 8% which have an important role in normal growth of blood vessels and prevention of blood-vessel-related illness. Unlike misois a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and the fungus , the most typical miso being made with soy. The result is a thick paste used for sauces and spreads, pickling vegetables or meats, and mixing with dashi soup stock to serve as miso...
, which is usually not boiled, doenjangs efficacy still exists after boiling, in dishes such as
doenjang jjigae.
Knowledge and use of doenjang 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
gochujang as essential flavorings and explored the origins of the condiments, particularly focusing on
Sunchang CountySunchang County is a county in North Jeolla Province, South Korea.Sunchang's claim to fame is its red pepper paste, or gochujang, which is supposed to be distinct from other recipes...
, 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 CVitamin C or L-ascorbic acid is an essential nutrient for humans, in which it functions as a vitamin. Ascorbate is required for a range of essential metabolic reactions in all animals and plants...
and
Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 is a water soluble vitamin with a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood. It is one of the eight B vitamins...
. The health benefits of
doenjang are rumored to extend longevity, and this is illustrated by the fact that out of the 32,000 in Sunchung 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 stew, modified slightly to Chinese tastes, to their menus shortly after publication. South Korea's
JoongAng Ilbo covered this story in China on December 13, 2007.
Dajiang is a type of fermented soybean paste that is popular in Northeast China which bears a great similarity in texture and taste to the Korean soybean paste called doenjang. The tradition of eating dajiang is said to have been started by the Manchurians about 400 years ago, who originally occupied China's northeastern provinces. Northeastern Chinese people enjoy eating raw vegetables in the summer, and dajiang is used like a salad dressing to add flavor.
See also
- Cheonggukjang
Cheonggukjang is a fermented soybean paste used in Korean cuisine. It contains whole as well as ground soybeans.- Production :It can be made in 2 to 3 days through fermentation of boiled soybeans, adding Bacillus subtilis, which is usually contained in the air or in the jip, dried rice plants,...
- 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 and Southeast Asia...
- Yellow soybean paste
Yellow soybean paste is a fermented paste made from yellow soybeans, salt, and water; wheat flour, though not formerly used, is often used as an additional ingredient in the modern day, and potassium sorbate may also be used as a preservative...
- Korean cuisine
External links