Doenjang Totally Explained

Everything about Doenjang totally explained

Doenjang is a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste. Its name literally means "thick paste" in Korean.

Production

To produce doenjang, dried soybeans are boiled and stone-ground into fine bits. This paste is then formed into blocks, which are called meju . The blocks are then exposed to sunlight to be dried, during which mold special to soybeans appears and the initial fermentation process begins. This sometimes produces an unpleasant fish-like smell. After the blocks have been dried, they're put in a warmer place to speed up the fermentation. Still later, they're put into large opaque pottery jars with brine and left to further ferment, 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; ). 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 intensify doenjang's savor.

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's 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 meat(samgyeobsal - 삼겹살) 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. Additionally, it contains lots of protein and good amino acids with average 85% of digestion. 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. Doenjang is able to ward off cancer because it has many more anti-mutation reactions. Its efficacy still exists after boiling such as doenjang jjigae or other uses.

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 doesn't 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.

Further Information

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