Extra-strong fermented soybean paste

Cheonggukjang 청국장

How many delicious recipes I have introduced to you that use soybeans? I showed you how to make key Korean ingredients with them like fermented soybean paste and soy sauce, and I also showed you how to make soy milk and ground soybean stew with them, too. Today I add one more thing: extra-strong fermented soybean paste, called cheonggukjang in Korean and one of my favorites

Cheonggukjang is soybean paste that has been fermented for a couple of days, unlike doenjang, which is fermented for a few months or more. Both processes use the bacteria bacillus subtilis found in the the air around us, but there’s no salt involved in the process of making cheonggukjang, it’s made from just soybeans only, and the process is much simpler and less time consuming. Cheonggukjang is similar to Japanese nattō, except nattō uses only bacillus subtilis var that’s injected from a culture or already fermented natto. Cheonggukjang has stronger smell but they taste similar.

I used to make huge amounts of cheonggukjang when I lived in Korea, at the same time of year that I made winter kimchi. I made enough to last my whole family through the winter. My house in Korea had traditional Korean underfloor heating (ondol) that was powered by charcoal briquettes. The room next to the boiler was consistently warm and toasty and the perfect temperature and condition for fermenting cheonggukjang!

I missed cheonggukjang ever since I left Korea. You can buy it in Korean grocery stores in the West but it can’t be compared to homemade. There’s a restaurant in New York that serves cheonggukjang stew but every time I ordered it there, it made me miss my homemade cheonggukjang even more. So when I was planning my cookbook I decided to definitely include cheonggukjang in the book, which meant I needed to figure out how to make it in a modern American apartment. I needed to recreate the large, consistently warm heated surface of my old Korean underfloor heating. The beans need for 2 days so they can ferment properly. I experimented with an electric mat on the floor, which worked great except the beans on top of the pile would get dried and wrinkly. I tried adding a cup of water to the middle of the mound and it worked perfectly! I cried a single tear in happiness when I first saw those fermented beans! I’ve been making them ever since.

Korean researchers have done many studies on the health benefits of cheonggukjang. They say the fermented beans provide good protein that can be digested easily and are good for controlling blood pressure, fighting cancer, and improving your complexion. For me, I just love the taste and smell. The smell is unique and hard to describe. It’s similar to good, stinky cheese I had in France, but even better! Probably because I was raised on it.

Special equipment

A shallow bamboo basket (or plastic basket), about 12 to 14 inches in diameter
An electric mat.
Cotton cloth (or a few layers of cheesecloth) and blanket
An instant-read thermometer (optional)

Ingredients

2 pounds dried soybeans (about 5 cups)
A few green and red chili peppers, sliced (optional)

Directions

Soaking the beans:

Put the beans into a colander or strainer basket and pick out any broken beans. Wash and scrub them under cold running water and then transfer them into to a large bowl.
Fill the bowl with cold water. The ratio of the beans to water should be 1 to 4.
Let sit at least for 12 hours up to 24 hours. The beans will expand to about 13 cups.
2 cups soybeans (left) dried soybeans expand to 13 cups soaked soybeans (right) in 24 hours.

Cooking the beans:

Drain the beans and rinse them in cold water. Transfer them to a large pot. Add 16 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. It will take about 25 to 30 minutes and there will be a lot of foam floating on top.
Stir with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for 3½ hours until the beans are very soft and crushable.

Fermenting:

Place a thick blanket under the electric mat and a large cotton cloth on top of it.
Drain the hot beans and put them in the basket and reserve the bean water.
Place the basket on a large tray (I used my 14 inch pizza pan). Smooth out the top of the beans evenly.
Set 1 cup of water into the center of the beans to maintain the humidity during fermentation.
Spread about 1 cup bean water over the top of the beans evenly to moisten them. Wet a cotton cloth (or a hemp cloth or a few layers of cheesecloth) in cold water and cover the bean basket with it. And then cover it all with another cotton cloth.
Put the beans on the electric mat. Cover the mat with large blanket.
Set the temperature to low (I used level 2 on my mat) and let the beans ferment for 48 hours between 110°F (43°C) and 130°F (54°C). You can use an instant-read thermometer to check them during fermentation if you want, but if your blanket temperature is set low enough it should be all right.
After 48 hours, uncover the beans. Remove the cup of water and stir the beans with a wooden spoon. You should see thin, translucent threads when you stir the beans.

Process & pack:

Working in batches, pound the beans using a mortar and pestle or process them for 10 seconds in a food processor until the mixture is partially smooth with a few chunky beans.
Pre-cut 8 pieces of plastic wrap about 9½ inches square.
Divide the paste into 8 portions about 1 cup each.
Put a piece of pre-cut plastic wrap into a 1 cup measuring cup and add sliced chili pepper (if using) into the bottom. Push in a portion of the paste to fill the cup, wrap the edges of the plastic wrap together, pull it out of the cup, twist it, and form it into a ball. Repeat with the rest of the bean paste and pieces of plastic wrap.
Put the balls in a zipper-lock bag. Use immediately, or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator or a few hours on the kitchen counter before using.

Posted on Tuesday, January 8th, 2019 at 2:26 pm. Last updated on October 9, 2020.
Tagged: cheonggukjanng, 나토, fermented soybean paste, 청국장, Korean fermented bean paste, Korean natto, pungent fermented soybean paste

16 Comments:

MaineDruid Maine joined 7/21 & has 1 comment
Posted July 15th, 2021 at 12:38 pm | Log in to reply or create a profile.

Two questions: Would there be any reason not to cook the soybeans in a pressure cooker? It’s my usual bean-cooking method, as it reduces phytates (along with long soaking).

2nd question: Would the warmth of an old-fashioned gas oven that has a pilot light be adequate for the fermenting phase? (Or too much?) It’s perfect for letting bread dough rise.

Thank you for explaining a process that most other sources present as being somewhat arcane.
Twonspls Seoul, South Korea joined 9/20 & has 1 comment
Posted September 20th, 2020 at 7:22 pm | Log in to reply or create a profile.

As the mom of a kiddo with multiple food allergies (to include soy and rice), I have struggled to make safe alternatives that would allow my son to have a taste of Korean cuisine. My biggest challenge is all the condiments – doenjang, gochujang, and ssangjang. Do you think I could use this technique utilizing a safe legume like a chickpea or pinto bean?

I realize cheonggukjang isn’t the same as doenjang, but I’m just trying to give him the “idea” of all the delicious dishes. We currently live in 한 남 당 with amazing restaurants at every turn. I feel like he’s missing so much of the experience living here. This may be a viable, albeit imperfect, solution.
VeggieTater Florida joined 3/19 & has 2 comments
Posted August 19th, 2020 at 1:51 am | Log in to reply or create a profile.

Do you have to cook cheonggukjang …or can you eat as is like natto?
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,050 comments
  Posted August 31st, 2020 at 4:47 pm | Log in to reply or create a profile.
  
  I usually cook it but sometimes I eat it raw.
Mionny Singapore joined 8/19 & has 1 comment
Posted August 11th, 2019 at 8:47 pm | Log in to reply or create a profile.

Hi Maangchi,

During this long weekend i finally started my Cheonggukjang project! Thanks for your detailed instructions!!
I tried to make this recipe but my soybeans didn’t turn out so well. Some of them have “threads” but some didn’t. Those towards the center have more threads while those on the sides were normal. Am i doing anything wrongly?

Love your videos!! Xoxo
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,050 comments
  Posted August 22nd, 2019 at 10:58 am | Log in to reply or create a profile.
  
  It happens when the beans are not wet enough, the edges especially will easily dry out. That’s why I add a cup of water to the middle, to moisturize the beans. Next time if you try it again, be sure to wrap it well to prevent the beans from getting dried and add a cup of water.
VeggieTater Florida joined 3/19 & has 2 comments
Posted March 13th, 2019 at 6:26 pm | Log in to reply or create a profile.

I’ve loved your videos on YouTube for a long time and am so happy to find your website and this amazing recipe! I am a huge fan of natto but always have to find or buy the spores to make it. Cheonggukjang sounds similar and maybe even stronger, and with spores from the air sounds like something from heaven! I don’t eat cheese or animal products anymore, but used to love brie and camembert cheese, which natto reminds me of. I also like that cheonggukjang is smashed into a pulpy mass because it made me want to experiment with adding a binder to firm it into an even more cheese-like texture too! (I know it is only cultural, but we all crave what we are familiar with the most.)
I always make my natto in the Instant Pot on the yogurt setting and it comes out perfect, do you think I could use it also to make cheonggukjang? Thank you for everything!
Kwisin Tampa, Florida joined 2/11 & has 2 comments
Posted February 16th, 2019 at 1:05 pm | Log in to reply or create a profile.

Okay… my first batch was a fail… in typical western male fashion, I applied the theory… “if some is good, more is better…” Too much heat and the bacillus subtilis won’t start but in the meantime the beans sour in a not so good way… bleah… on the other hand my biji was kickin!!! Thanks Maangchi… been following here for awhile…
sonny7 Florida joined 2/19 & has 1 comment
Posted February 6th, 2019 at 2:57 pm | Log in to reply or create a profile.

My parents both love cheonggukjang so I was thrilled when I saw you had shared such an easy recipe with us! I was wondering whether it would be possible to make this in the oven set to 110-130F over 2 days or if that would dry out the beans too much/inhibit fermentation?

Thank you for sharing such wonderful recipes and videos, as always!
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,050 comments
  Posted February 27th, 2019 at 8:08 am | Log in to reply or create a profile.
  
  I’ve never thought about using the oven, I always use a heated floor. You can do an experiment and let us know if it works.
karrotlover joined 5/15 & has 8 comments
Posted February 1st, 2019 at 7:02 pm | Log in to reply or create a profile.

Maangchi! Thank you for this recipe! I didn’t realize it was so simple to make chunggukjang! I haven’t had it since my mom passed many many years ago. I would love to make it this weekend. One problem, I don’t have an electric blanket but I happen to have heated tile floor in my bathroom! Do you know what temperature I should set the floor tile to?
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,050 comments
  Posted February 27th, 2019 at 8:12 am | Log in to reply or create a profile.
  
  Hi karrotlover! In the recipe I set my mat to between 110°F (43°C) and 130°F (54°C).
SARANGE VENEZUELA joined 1/19 & has 1 comment
Posted January 19th, 2019 at 12:22 pm | Log in to reply or create a profile.

me encantan todos tus videos
Me gustaria saber si en paises calidos (calientes) como venezuela se puede hacer esta receta y cual seria la tecnica para hacerla
soy una novata amante de la comida asiática y sueño con lograr hacer muchas de tus recetas
te estaria muy agradecida por tu respuesta
plenilunio Germany joined 3/17 & has 2 comments
Posted January 14th, 2019 at 1:29 pm | Log in to reply or create a profile.

I instantly had to make it and it turned out perfectly, it made me so happy! Now I can’t wait for your 청국장찌개 recipe. Thank you so much for sharing, Maangchi!
Oksusu London joined 1/19 & has 5 comments
Posted January 9th, 2019 at 11:45 am | Log in to reply or create a profile.

Great video and a wonderful recipe love your videos keep on making them for us
Kimball Guntersville, Alabama joined 1/19 & has 2 comments
Posted January 9th, 2019 at 9:07 am | Log in to reply or create a profile.

You are awesome!
Love all your recipes and video’s, make cooking Korean so easy!!!