Soybean paste based dipping sauce for raw fish

Doenjang-banga 된장방아

Hi everybody! Today I have a short and simple – but fun – video recipe for doenjangbanga. When I was in the island of Roatan in Honduras, I chartered a boat and a few men for snorkeling and fishing. We started at about 11:00 am and came back about 4:00 pm. It was an awesome experience for me and I was happy to film this video so that I can share it with my readers.

As you can see in the video, I didn’t have a proper knife to fillet the fish, or a spoon to mix the dipping sauce! No kitchen tools! I used the flat bench on the boat as my cutting board. To be honest I didn’t expect that they would catch any fish. After negotiating the charter I quickly put some Korean ingredients and a plastic bowl into a plastic bag, and rushed on board the boat.

I was thrilled when I saw they caught snapper, lobsters, and a huge conch! I was so excited that I told them I would give them a $40 tip! Ow ow ow, then what happened? The captain Ronin immediately went to work to break open the conch so we could eat it!

When I was young, my father used to charter a fishing boat when he visited his hometown island of Namhae. He always asked me to follow him on his excursion and told me he would make delicious hoe (raw fish) on the boat. Even though I loved the idea of following him, I always refused because I have a problem with seasickness. I knew I wouldn’t be able to enjoy a trip in a bumpy small boat. My father came home with lots of fish he caught and he would fillet them for us.

He didn’t forget to say, “Oh, you missed the delicious hoe on the boat. The taste of raw fish eaten on the boat right after being caught can’t be compared to anything!”

I took a pill for motion sickness before going on this trip. No problem! OMG it was so fun! My late father would be proud of me if he saw me what I did!

“Father, I made it, but too late! You would have been very happy if I had followed you when you went fishing. How come you didn’t think to give me a motion sickness pill btw?” lol

This dipping sauce’s main ingredient is soy bean paste. Dipping sauce recipes for raw fish depend on what kind of fish you have. This sauce goes well with snapper, flounder, or permit.

Jovani caught conch!

… and snapper

… and lobster

Samuel caught lion fish

I had never known conch has eyes! eepy!

Ingredients

Soybean paste, hot pepper paste, vinegar, garlic, green onions, toasted sesame oil, roasted sesame seeds, honey (or sugar)

Directions

Mix these ingredients on a bowl with a spoon:

¼ cup soybean paste,
1tbs hot pepper paste,
1 ts of honey (or sugar),
1-2 ts vinegar,
2 cloves of minced garlic,
2 stalks of chopped green onions,
1 tbs of toasted sesame oil,

*tip: If you want some vegetables to wrap the fish in, prepare lettuce, perilla leaves, and green chili pepper. Put a piece of raw fish into the lettuce or perilla leaf, add some dipping sauce and a green chili pepper, wrap it and eat.

doenjang-banga (dipping sauce) and snapper

doenjang-banga, snapper, and conch

Posted on Sunday, December 19th, 2010 at 12:43 pm. Last updated on August 7, 2017.
Tagged: 된장방아, fishing, fishing and eating, gapshida, hoe, 회, 사시미, korean food, Korean kitchen, Korean recipes, Maangchi's travel, sashimi

31 Comments:

peonygirl portland, oregon joined 8/09 & has 50 comments
Posted December 3rd, 2011 at 2:29 pm | Log in to reply.

Maangchi, I love your glasses that you wore in this video!!
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted December 6th, 2011 at 12:44 am | Log in to reply.
  
  Thank you very much! I should wear them more often.
fairygothmom Glen Cove, NY joined 1/11 & has 8 comments
Posted February 25th, 2011 at 12:36 pm | Log in to reply.

Tony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern have nothing on you, Maangchi! You should get your own show. :)
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted December 6th, 2011 at 12:44 am | Log in to reply.
  
  wow huge compliment! But their shows are my favorite. : )
KarenGD joined 1/11 & has 1 comment
Posted January 4th, 2011 at 10:03 pm | Log in to reply.

I just came across your website and so glad I did!! I’m a Korean food lover and have enjoyed cooking it in my home for my own blog. Will definitely be coming back for recipes and ideas. Fabulous, fabulous– keep it up!
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted January 5th, 2011 at 5:19 pm | Log in to reply.
  
  Thank you very much! I love your blog! http://globetrotterdiaries.com/
muskratbyte Fort Worth joined 1/11 & has 7 comments
Posted January 4th, 2011 at 1:33 am | Log in to reply.

This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it. I have miso on hand- can this be substituted for the Korean soybean paste?
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted January 4th, 2011 at 1:14 pm | Log in to reply.
  
  yes, I think Japanese miso will also work well. yummy! I want some now. : )
ravi Queens, NY joined 9/10 & has 10 comments
Posted December 22nd, 2010 at 6:10 pm | Log in to reply.

maangchi, i am so impressed with you! you travel with soybean and hot pepper paste. that is one dedicated korean cook! your knife skills are also quite impressive — you remind me of MacGyver. thanks for sharing
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted January 4th, 2011 at 1:15 pm | Log in to reply.
  
  Thank you, Ravi! Even though you are a vegetarian, it sounds like you were not scared while watching this video. : )
bo Hawaii joined 7/10 & has 49 comments
Posted December 22nd, 2010 at 4:17 am | Log in to reply.

Girlfriend…. if you were stranded on Mars … you would be there cooking Korean food for Martians! Nothing stops you! You find a way to feed your friends!!

It made me hungry …. and I don’t like raw fish!!!
Sylvia joined 9/08 & has 78 comments
Posted December 20th, 2010 at 10:23 pm | Log in to reply.

I have everything I need………….except for the raw fish.

Looks so yummy.
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted December 21st, 2010 at 10:20 pm | Log in to reply.
  
  Go fishing! haha
vb38 joined 7/10 & has 36 comments
Posted December 20th, 2010 at 9:06 am | Log in to reply.

All that fabulous alive & kicking, super duper fresh fish and they never ever eaten them raw???!!!! What a shame! Never mind, now u hv opened up their world to a whole new eating experience!!! AWESOME VIDEO!!!! The sea/sky is such a beautiful blue too!!!!!! Show me more videos of yr trip, pls!!!! VB
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted December 21st, 2010 at 10:21 pm | Log in to reply.
  
  It sounds like you love raw fish.
cy24 CA joined 7/10 & has 4 comments
Posted December 20th, 2010 at 12:55 am | Log in to reply.

This looks like so much fun. Fresh seafood & enjoying your time out at sea. I need to go one day.
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted December 21st, 2010 at 10:22 pm | Log in to reply.
  
  It was a great experience for me.
amikim joined 12/10 & has 1 comment
Posted December 19th, 2010 at 8:04 pm | Log in to reply.

You are using food to promote diplomacy and world peace! Everyone understands delicious food. Thank-you for sharing the video and your story of your father – I’m sure he is proud to see what you continue to accomplish.
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted December 19th, 2010 at 10:19 pm | Log in to reply.
  
  “I’m sure he is proud to see what you continue to accomplish.” yes, I wish my father were alive and read your comment. Thank you!
powerplantop Louisiana joined 6/09 & has 70 comments
Posted December 19th, 2010 at 7:03 pm | Log in to reply.

Your spreading the word about Korean food everywhere!
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted December 19th, 2010 at 10:17 pm | Log in to reply.
  
  Thank you!
LuccaQ Buffalo,NY joined 6/10 & has 30 comments
Posted December 19th, 2010 at 6:40 pm | Log in to reply.

¡Qué bueno! That video brought such a big smile to my face! Food is the best way to share cultures. I’m sure your father would be very proud of you too. Were you speaking some Spanish? I hope to hear more about your trip to Honduras.
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted December 19th, 2010 at 10:17 pm | Log in to reply.
  
  yes, I will post my blogs about what I ate, what I saw in Honduras soon.
peonygirl portland, oregon joined 8/09 & has 18 comments
Posted December 19th, 2010 at 4:15 pm | Log in to reply.

Maangchi!
You are fabulous! You make beautiful food where ever you go. It looked so fun on that boat and I was jealous because I get sooo seasick! But now I know you do too. ha!ha! I have never tasted fish that fresh- one day I hope I can.
I’m glad you had fun and thanks for posting!!
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted December 19th, 2010 at 10:14 pm | Log in to reply.
  
  You can take a pill for seasickeness before going fishing just like me. : )
Brigitte Montreal,Canada joined 1/10 & has 35 comments
Posted December 19th, 2010 at 1:53 pm | Log in to reply.

looks so delicious I think im torturing myself by watching your vids because then I have to go through traffic and get to the korean store with my dad lool
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted December 19th, 2010 at 10:12 pm | Log in to reply.
  
  Brigitte, oh I didn’t know you like raw fish.
KillDeer Hamilton, Ontario joined 9/10 & has 33 comments
Posted December 19th, 2010 at 1:26 pm | Log in to reply.

Conch Eyes 0__0

I never knew either!
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted December 19th, 2010 at 10:12 pm | Log in to reply.
  
  : ) eww! I tried to avoid looking at them.
- Sylvia joined 9/08 & has 78 comments
  Posted December 20th, 2010 at 10:24 pm | Log in to reply.
  
  Conch eyes, I never knew either, Kinda creepy!
  - Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
    Posted December 21st, 2010 at 10:19 pm | Log in to reply.
    
    true! : )

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Soybean paste based dipping sauce for raw fish
Korean name: 된장방아
Romanized: Doenjang-banga
Also Romanized as: Doenjangbanga, doenjang bangah, doenjangbangah

Categories: side dish, spicy, vegetarian
Made with: garlic, green onion, honey, hot pepper paste, sesame oil, sesame seeds, soybean paste, sugar, vinegar,