Doenjang Recipe: How to Make and Use Korean Doenjang

Doenjang is a bean paste made by fermenting soybeans in a sea salt brine. It has a chunky consistency and a sharp, salty, umami flavor. You can make this complex ingredient by fermenting Meju (dried bricks of fermented soybeans) in a salty brine within a charcoal-smoked earthenware crock for a fermentation period ranging from weeks to years. Doenjang is a staple in traditional Korean cuisine. It has many uses and applications in Korean dishes, both as a component in dipping sauces and condiments and as a base for soups, stews, and noodle dishes.

Korean doenjang and Japanese miso are both fermented foods with an umami flavor and a shared main ingredient: fermented soybeans. They’re also both gluten-free. But they differ from each other in several important ways. Miso is a salty, umami-rich fermented soybean paste made by adding a koji starter to rice or barley and combining the grains with salt and soybeans. Comparatively, traditional doenjang contains only soybeans and salt, though some grocery store doenjang may contain other additives.

Unlike miso, doenjang gets exposed to air during its fermentation process. Also, doenjang requires at least six weeks of fermentation, while certain kinds of miso are ready to eat after only one week. Miso tends to have a smooth consistency, whereas doenjang is usually chunkier. While doenjang and miso are both East Asian, doenjang is from Korea, and miso is from Japan.

This flavor-packed Korean soybean paste adds an instant hit of umami to various condiments, sauces, and dishes. Some of its most well-known uses in Korean food are:

1. 1. Ssamjang: Ssamjang is a condiment mainly used in Korean barbecue made by combining doenjang and gochujang (a red chili paste made from the same chili peppers used to make gochugaru, or chili flakes), which then gets smeared inside a lettuce wrap with bulgogi (marinated, thin-sliced beef). Learn how to make ssamjang at home.
2. 2. Yangnyeom doenjang: Yangnyeom doenjang is a flavoring agent used in soups and stews. You can make yangnyeom by combining doenjang with dried anchovies and other aromatics.
3. 3. Doenjang jjigae: This famous Korean stew has doenjang as its base and includes tofu as well as potato, zucchini, green onion, and other veggies.
4. 4. Dressings: You can add doenjang to salad dressings with complementary ingredients like soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic for a tasty umami-rich dressing. Use just a small amount, as the potent flavor goes a long way.

If you need doenjang for a Korean recipe but don’t have any on hand, try these soybean-based substitutions.

1. 1. Miso: Due to its similar flavor and texture, Japanese miso paste is the best substitute for doenjang. Keep in mind that doenjang has a saltier, funkier flavor than miso, so you may need to use additional miso in your recipe or supplement it with salt or soy sauce.
2. 2. Hoisin sauce: This thick brown sauce, made from fermented soybeans, garlic, chilies, and additional seasonings, is an excellent choice for replacing the sweet, savory, and umami notes of doenjang paste.
3. 3. Chee hou sauce: This traditional sauce, made from fermented soybeans, is commonly mistaken for hoisin sauce. However, this paste has a slightly different flavor profile, with notes of lemon, salted plum, and bean curd.
4. 4. Sweet bean sauce: This thick brown sauce, which you’ll find in jars at specialty markets, is a sweet and savory fermented-soybean-based condiment that also contains sugar and flour.

Making this complex paste requires an equally complex process, including three distinct periods of fermentation that can last for months at a time. These are the basic steps needed to craft an authentic batch of doenjang.

1. 1. Make the meju bricks. The first step in this long process is creating the meju—or fermented soybean bricks—by boiling soybeans in salted water, mashing them, and forming them into rectangular bricks. Once you have formed the bricks, dry them in a warm, dry place for days until solid.
   
2. 2. Complete the first fermentation. For the first fermentation, hang the meju by a string in a sunny, dry place with plenty of airflow for upwards of a month. During this time, the bricks become extremely dry, begin emitting a slight funky scent, and develop fungus on the surface. When the first fermentation is complete, gently wash the bricks to remove the surface fungus and dry them in the sun for a day.
3. 3. Smoke the fermentation vessel. Before completing the second fermentation, place a piece of burning charcoal in an earthenware crock to imbue the doenjang with a slightly smoky flavor.
4. 4. Submerge the meju in brine. Place the meju at the base of the earthenware container and cover it with well-salted water and a handful of whole spices.
5. 5. Complete the second fermentation. Once the meju and brine are secure in the crock and covered with cheesecloth and a lid, place the vessel in a sunny, dry place to ferment for a few months. During this time, occasionally remove the lid for a few hours at a time. As the meju ferments, the brine will transform into soy sauce.
6. 6. Make the paste. Following the second fermentation, discard the water and spices (or set them aside for later use). Push the softened meju through a fine-mesh strainer to create a smooth paste. Then return the paste to the earthenware crock and cover it with salt for the final fermentation.
7. 7. Complete the third fermentation. Once the soybean paste is back in the crock, cover it with the cheesecloth and lid and allow it to ferment for an additional few months. After the third fermentation, store the doenjang in the earthenware crock, where it will continue to age, becoming even more complex and potent.