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Home Condiments and Sauces

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soybean paste (doenjang) plated as a small mound

Soybean Paste

Korean Name: 된장

Romanization: Doenjang

Also Known As: Tojang, Makjang

Flavor Profile/Texture:

Rich Salty Nutty Umami

Substitutes:

Miso (but not the same - missing some flavors)

Goes well with:

Gochujang, Stews, Namul

What is Soybean Paste (Doenjang) ?

Different Types of Doenjang
Different Types of Doenjang

A classic Korean seasoning paste is made by fermenting cooked soybeans and salt over several months. This Korean seasoning adds a salty, unique fermented umami-packed flavor to Korean dishes.

Soybeans are cooked, then formed into bricks, dried and fermented before being soaked in brine. Leftover liquids become soup soy sauce, the solids become doenjang.

Not To Be Confused With

Miso, Black Bean Paste

Where and What To Buy

Korean or Asian grocery store, online, my Amazon store.

Just like soy sauce, Sempio is the oldest company that makes naturally fermented Doenjang. Sempio makes several kinds of Doenjang. My top choice is Baekil Doenjang 백일된장 (in the picture) but that may not be available online. If so, you can buy Tojang 토장 (sold on amazon).

jar of sempio doenjang and a plate of doenjang
Sempio Baekil Doenjang 백일된장

There are other brands that are good too. Just look for ones that have minimal ingredients (soy beans 대두, salt 천일염 is all you need) and that says it was 'naturally fermented' 자연숙성. It may sometimes have added chili powder. But the more additives there are, it probably means, it was not naturally fermented and they had to add a lot of other ingredients to make it taste good.

FYI - there's 양념된장 (Yangnyeom Doenjang) which may have added garlic, onion, sugar, etc.  You can read MORE on my post Know Your Doenjang.

How to Use/Cook

  • Use to make soups or stews. Add to anchovy broth or meat broth.
  • Make Ssamjang
  • Add to blanched vegetables like cabbage, radish greens (시래기 shiraegi) and other namuls
  • Use when boiling pork belly - helps to remove any unwanted pork smell

How to Clean/Store

Unopened doenjang can be stored in a cool dry place. It can stay good for quite awhile at room temperature if stored in an airtight container, however it is recommended to keep doenjang in the refrigerator once opened.

Doenjang can be kept for over a year but usually, the color will go dark and the flavor will diminish, leaving a more bitter salty flavor so try to consume it within the year.

Nutrition/Health Info

  • Soybean paste has been found to have great health benefits such as anticancer, antimetastatic, and antigenotoxic effects. See reference links below for actual research papers on this topic.
  • "It is also a good source of essential amino acids, minerals, and vitamins.(6) Moreover, fermented soybean products were shown to have higher phenolic and protein contents and greater antioxidant activity than non-fermented ones.(7) The increase in genistein and linoleic acid contents during fermentation of soybean is believed to be mainly responsible for the high biological activity of doenjang.(4,5)" - excerpt from reference #3
  • However, due to the high salt content, one should be careful about consuming large amounts of it. 
Click here to read more about Soybean Paste

Recipes that use it:

Close up of Instant Pot Gamjatang finished in the pot

Instant Pot Gamjatang (Korean Spicy Pork Bone Stew)

Close up of soybean paste stew topped with fresh green chilis and green onions

Beef Doenjang Jjigae (Soybean Paste Stew) using Restaurant Kalbi Leftovers

Recipes Using Doenjang

7 Recipes Using Doenjang (Korean Soybean Paste)

Close up of gamjatang in white bowl individual size

Gamjatang (Spicy Pork Bone Stew with Potatoes)

close up of pork belly, spicy radish salad and pickled cabbages in black plate

Bossam – Korean Boiled Pork Belly Wrap

Radish Soup with Soybean Paste (Korean MuDoenjangGuk)

Radish Soup with Soybean Paste – Korean Mu Doenjang Guk

Korean Soybean Paste Stew

Doenjang Jjigae – Korean Soybean Paste Stew

Korean Cabbage soup or Baechu Deonjang Guk

Cabbage Soybean Paste Soup (배추된장국 Baechu Doenjang Guk)

ssamjang in a bowl topped with green onions

Ssamjang (쌈장) – Korean Spicy Dipping Sauce

References:

  1. Doenjang improves its anticancer, antimetastatic properties.
  2. Antigenotoxic effects of Korean fermented soybean paste. FYI, antigenotoxic means it counters genotoxicity which “describes the property of chemical agents that damages the genetic information within a cell causing mutations, which may lead to cancer.” (Wikipedia
  3. Comparative effects of doenjang prepared from soybean and brown rice on the body weight and lipid metabolism in high fat-fed mice

Korean Ingredient Glossary!

Learn about over 100 popular Korean ingredients in our new ingredient glossary!

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