Doenjang - Artisanal Fermented Soybean Paste - Jook Jang Yeon

This doenjang, a Korean fermented soybean paste, is an exceptional product, made 100% traditionally and by hand from 100% Korean ingredients. It is made by the Jook Jang Yeon farm in eastern South Korea, in the Gyeongsang region.

This product is the result of natural fermentation, which gives it many benefits, not only for its taste but also for health, as it is full of probiotics. It is concentrated and powerful, both on the nose and on the palate, and will bring an incomparable flavor to your dishes.

Tips for using artisanal doenjang:

This traditional doenjang is a magnificent, unique, and powerful product. As with other artisanal products, I recommend using it sparingly at first to educate your palate and adjust quantities with use.

The first way to use it is to dilute it in a broth to make a soup by adding vegetables or vegetable proteins (tofu).

It is the basic condiment for making flagship Korean dishes, such as Doenjang Jjigae, or soybean stew, and it is also an ingredient in the famous homemade Ssamjang dip.

To make a delicious Ssamjang (Korean dip), mix one tablespoon of this doenjang, one tablespoon of gochujang, several crushed garlic cloves (to your taste), and one tablespoon of quality sesame oil. Serve this dip with raw vegetables or grilled meat!

For pasta, vinaigrettes, mushroom sauce, a vegan dish...: find all our ideas here for using this excellent doenjang in your daily cooking.

How is this artisanal Doenjang made?

This soybean paste takes 1000 days to produce using an ancestral method. The soybeans are cleaned and soaked for 24 hours, then cooked over a wood fire for several hours in large traditional pots. The cooked beans are then crushed and shaped into soybean blocks, called Mejoo or Meju, which are then hung to dry for about 50 days by rice straw braids; this is the first fermentation. The blocks are then placed in a fermentation chamber at a higher temperature, under straw. This is the second fermentation.

The Meju blocks are then placed in large terracotta jars, also called Onggi, with spring water and sun-dried sea salt, and will ferment naturally in this brine for 60 days.

The mixture will then be filtered. The solid, derived from the fermented Meju, becomes Doenjang, and the residual water becomes Ganjang, soy sauce.

Each ingredient will then be placed in a large jar for aging of at least 2 years to enhance these exceptional products.

Find our article on Doenjang here.

Recommendations and distinctions:

This artisanal doenjang is recommended by Chef Hooni Kim in his cookbook "My Korea", published by Hachette Cuisine in 2022.