Doenjang is a signature ingredient in Korean cooking, used in many dishes, dips, soups and stews in Korean cuisine. It’s deep and rich, nutty and full of umami. Soup or stew made with doenjang are the most iconic and delicious of all Korean dishes.
Today most Koreans use commercially made soybean paste (it may or may not be labeled “fermented”), but traditionally we make it at home. The process takes about a year, my recipe is here if you want to try. It’s usually sold in brown tubs at the Korean grocery store. Keep in the fridge and use within 3 months. The top of the paste may oxidize a bit and turn brown, but it’s still edible.
It’s made by grinding soybeans into a thick paste and forming it into blocks that are dried and fermented for months before being soaked in brine for a few more months. The liquid becomes Korean soup soy sauce and the solids become doenjang.
This is my favorite brand, “Haechandul.” However, Wang or Soon Chang can also be pretty good.
I prefer doenjang that is not too dark or light, but a nice brown color like this one.
This one looks a too light to me.
Thanks for the recommendation!! I’ve been trying to find a good doenjang.
Dear Maangchi,
is the Haechandul , wang and soon chang brand are suitable for vegetarian and contained any animal substance?
Dear Maangchi,
I just received my long waited soy bean paste but I don’t know if it is good.
The consistency is just like on the photos you uploaded but the colour is different-it’s dark black. I have never eaten it before so I don’t know if I don’t get ill!?
Please answer me
Best wishes,
Kamil
Hi there, Kamil! Soy bean paste can come in many different shades of brown. I’ve even had soy bean paste vary in colour from the same manufacturer, I guess every batch is different! ^^ Just make sure its soy bean paste you have and not black bean paste which is used for jja jang myun. Hope that helps. ^^
I’m worried about mine too. Last one I bought from the same brand is light brown, but this one is dark. Expiration date is 2018 so I’m confused if I can use it.
See full size image
Hi Maangchi
I bought my first soy bean paste yesterday I’am excited to make soups and stew especially for my mother who is going to give birth any minute now!!, But i have a question regarding the paste…it came with a white packet inside and im not sure what am i supposed to do with it.
Thanks – Jenny
The white packet is to keep the paste fresh. Don’t open it, don’t eat it. You can leave it in there or you can throw it out. Hope your stews turn out deelish!
Thank you!! =]
hi maangchi.. do i have to keep this in the refrigerator once i open it?
Yes, I always keep it in the fridge after opening.
THanks!!
Hi Maangchi,
Is the Korean soy bean paste the same as the Japanese miso?
Hi..maangchi…I’m from malaysia…I just wanna ask I would like to make kimchi but at my place it’s quite difficult to find sweet rice flour. Is it possible if i replace it with corn starch?Is it the taste still delicious?tQ
I would use regular flour instead of starch powder. Good luck with your kimchi making!
Sweet rice flour is same as glutinous rice flour or also known as sticky rice flour in South East Asia! I can buy them in the Middle East! I’m sure you can buy them in Malaysia! I make kimchi with Maangchi’s recipe..minus the squid. It always turn out excellent! Good luck!
It’s the flour to make “biji salak”.
Same thing, just called differently.
Korean recipes and cooking uses some same ingredients us Sg and Ms ppl use too.
hi maangchi…i was planning on making some jajamyun but i accidentley bought the soy bean paste other than the black bean paste, so i was wondering if you know any good and easy dishes i can make with the soybean paste….by the way, the soy bean paste taste really salty and funny when in the box, will it taste the same if used in any dishes?
Korean Foods and other mixing products are not very much available in our country. For that, I have to make use of my own. Can you specifically, show us the components in making doenjang?Hope you can assist. Thanks.
Can I substitute Thai soybean paste (Healthy Boy brand)?
Hi Maangchi – I just bought the brand of soybean paste you use and on the top was a lot of white stuff that smelt very strong (and not pleasant). When I scrape it off the paste beneath appears to be okay – do you think it is safe to use?
I just want to tell you that the white stuff at the top are wax-like fillings that were added to preserve the paste. As long as you scrape it off, the paste will be fine ^^
Hi Maangchi~! ^^
I looked upon the ingredients in Hae chan Deul Doen Jaang and I found that it contains Elthyl Alcohol.
So I was wondering, do you usually put any alcohol to make doenjang to help the fermentation process?
Thank you in advance~ =)
Maangchi didn’t use alcohol in the doen jaang recipe she just developed. It’s possible that is one of the ingredients added to stop fermentation in commercial doen jaang so it doesn’t explode in storage. Alcohol kills lots of microbes, so I don’t think it would help fermentation. Usually salt is added to help good bacteria/fungi and kill the bad. I really don’t know for sure though
Hi Maangchi!
I know yous aid there is a difference between doenjang and miso, supposedy miso is milder? but the miso i have is a brown rice miso, it’s dark brown and chunkier, with a stronger taste.. will it be a good substitute for doenjang? also i’m a bit curious about WHEN to add soybean paste to the food. i heard that the fermentation process creates many healthy bacteria, so it’s best to add miso at the end of cooking, to preserve these living enzymes. Yet, in korean food, you seem to add doenjang at the start of cooking..Is there a reason?
Please help, thank you! I look forward to more yummy food from you (:
Love, Shuh
Oh, I have the same exact tub of soybean paste in my fridge! I love making jjigae with it using the huge zucchinis I buy from the Farmer’s market. I must admit I don’t make jjigae too often. How long does soybean paste stay “fresh?” I know it’s fermented so I don’t think it technically has an expiration date but thought I’d pose the question.
check the expiration date on the tub of soybean paste. I would throw it away even if I kept it in the fridge if the expiration date passed.
I can’t really see the expiration date because some water got on the label and rubbed it off. Considering I can’t remember when I bought it, I’ll throw it away and get a fresh tub of fragrant smelling soybean paste :)
what is the difference between black bean paste (chunjang) (sample picture: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chunjang)
and
black bean garlic sauce? (sample picture: http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1006996/Lee-Kum-Kee-Black-Bean-Garlic-Sauce-Big.jpg)
~ i cannot find any chunjang here, how can i make my own recipe of chunjang? what are the ingredients and procedure?
thank you ^^
You need a right ingredient to make good jjajangmyun.
The blackbean paste that I use is posted here.
https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/black-bean-paste
And check “where to buy Korean ingredients” section on the forum on my website. You can leave your question there and someone else who is living in your area might give you the answer.
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/where-to-buy-korean-cooking-ingredients
Hello Maangchi,
I am a Filipino, but i love korean food… can i ask is it possible to do a bibimbap using soybean paste instead hot pepper paste? thank you so much!
It will be strange taste if bibimbap is mixed with soy bean paste. Don’t ask me why : ) Anyway, if hot pepper paste is too spicy for you to use in your bibimbap, make yangnyumjang. I posted the recipe under bibimbap recipe here:
https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/bibimbap
“Chop 4 green onions and put them in a small bowl. Pour half cup of soy sauce in there, and add 1 tbs of sesame seeds, 2 ts of sugar, 1 tbs of sesame oil and mix it up.”
Here is a link to an article from The Korea Times about a small hole-in-the-wall place in Seoul that only sells doenjang bibimbab!
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2009/09/146_37920.html
Hi Vhon:
I actually like the taste of soybean paste mixed in with the hot pepper paste in my bibimbap. I would do 70% red pepper paste and 30% soybean. The flavours are really good.
nona
this is my first time making pork bone soup, and i used 2 tblespoons of i think chinese soy bean paste… would this still be okay to use for the dish? if not do u think if i added the korean soybean paste to the pot, would it still work? or should i just make a new soup altogether..
I don’t think it will matter if you use Chinese soy bean paste for this recipe.