Doenjang

Korean Fermented soybean paste

Doenjang

된장 (Korean)

Also called Korean fermented soybean paste

Intensely savoury, earthy and salty, funkier and more rustic than Japanese miso.

What it is

Korea's fermented soybean paste, aged from blocks of soybean (meju) and brine.

How it tastes

Intensely savoury, earthy and salty, funkier and more rustic than Japanese miso.

  • Savoury/Umami
  • Fermented/Funky

How to use it

The base of doenjang jjigae; whisk with sesame oil, garlic and gochujang to make ssamjang for lettuce wraps; add a spoon to braises for depth. Do not boil for long or the aroma fades.

  • Base/Stock
  • Cooking/Stir-Frying
  • Dipping/Condiment

Where it comes from

Made in the same jars and by the same households as soy sauce, of which it is the solid by-product. Its deep flavour is the reason Korean stews need so little else.

Tasted and scored by us · the same axes as every product page How it tastes · four axes

Sweet
Little
Heat
None
Salt
Deeply salted
Sour
Faint

Salt is a formulation property; on a raw ingredient it is read from the ingredient itself.

Across cuisines · not a substitute

Recipes arrive with the shelf

A recipe that calls for a line we cannot supply is an advertisement for someone else. Korean recipes go live the week the platform does.

Products that contain it

This entry is complete and readable now. The products behind it are not on the shelf yet — Korean is the second platform to launch, after Thai. This entry is complete now. The products behind it are not on the shelf yet — Korean is the second platform to launch.

Tell me when Korean lands The Korean platformShop what is live — Thai