Doenjang

Doenjang
Doenjang containing whole soybeans
Korean name
Hangul	된장
Hanja	된醬
Revised Romanization	doenjang
McCune–Reischauer	toenjang

Doenjang (Korean pronunciation: [tøndʒ͡aŋ] or [twendʒ͡aŋ]) is a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste. Its name literally means "thick paste" in Korean.

Production

Meju, soybean malt

To produce doenjang, dried soybeans are boiled and stone-ground into coarse bits. This paste is then formed into blocks, which are called meju (메주). The blocks are then exposed to sunlight or warmth. When they are exposed to the sun or warmth, dried rice plants are attached to the surface of the soybean blocks. Dried rice plants are readily available in Korea and are a rich source of bacteria (Bacillus subtillis). The fermentation process begins at this stage. The Bacillus subtillis bacteria reproduce, consuming soybean protein and water in the meju. The unique smell of the meju is mainly the ammonia which is produced by the bacteria. One to three months later, depending on the block size, the meju are put into large opaque pottery jars with brine and left to further fermentat, during which time various beneficial bacteria transform the mixture into a further vitamin-enriched substance (similar to the way milk ferments to become yogurt). Liquids and solids are separated after the fermentation process, and the liquid becomes Korean soy sauce (Joseon ganjang; 조선간장). The solid, which is doenjang, is very salty and quite thick, often containing (unlike most 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 anchovies to accentuate the doenjang's savoury flavour.

Use

A bowl of homemade doenjang jjigae

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 oil, and sometimes gochujang to produce ssamjang which is then traditionally eaten with or without rice wrapped in leaf vegetables such as Chinese cabbage. This dish is called ssambap. Like this, doenjang is basic sauce when Koreans eat samgyeopsal, 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 (jjigae) called doenjang jjigae which usually includes tofu, various vegetables such as chile peppers, zucchini and welsh onion, and (optionally) mushrooms, red meat, or scallops.

Nutrition and health

Doenjang is rich in flavonoids and beneficial vitamins, minerals, and hormones which are sometimes claimed to possess anti-carcinogenic properties.^[1]. 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 acid of 53% and linolenic acid of 8% which have an important role in normal growth of blood vessels and prevention of blood-vessel-related illness. Unlike miso, which is usually not boiled, doenjang's efficacy still exists after boiling, in dishes such as doenjang jjigae.^[2]

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 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 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 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.^[3]

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
• Fermented bean paste
• Yellow soybean paste
• Korean cuisine

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Doenjang

• Different ways of consuming Doenjang (video)
• Photo of South Korea-produced doenjang
• The history of doenjang
• Prof. Kun-Young Park, Pusan National University. "Longer aging time increases the anticancer and antimetastatic properties of doenjang" (in Korean). ASA-IM Korea. http://www.asa-im.or.kr/board/health_content.asp?cate=free&idx=531&page=3&search=&searchstring=&idx_image=0. Retrieved 2007-11-26. 
• "Regional doenjang" (in Korean). The Rural Development Administration of South Korea. http://www2.rda.go.kr/tpd/life/html/dietary/sauce/sauce04.htm. Retrieved 2007-11-26. 

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