Doenjang 2354079 223741460 2008-07-05T15:34:38Z Caspian blue 3029314 NowCommons {{Infobox Korean name |img=Doenjangwithbeans.jpg |caption=''Doenjang'' containing whole soybeans |hangul=된장 |hanja=[[wiktionary:된|된]][[wiktionary:醬|醬]] |rr=doenjang |mr=toenjang }} [[Image:Korean pot-Doengangdok-01.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Doenjang fermentation jars]] '''''Doenjang''''' ({{IPAEng|tønʨaŋ}}) is a traditional [[Korea]]n [[fermentation (food)|fermented]] [[soybean]] paste. Its name literally means "thick paste" in [[Korean language|Korean]]. ==Production== To produce ''doenjang'', dried soybeans are boiled and stone-ground into fine bits. This paste is then formed into blocks, which are called ''meju'' ({{lang|ko-Hang|메주}}). The blocks are then exposed to sunlight to be dried, during which mold special to soybeans appears and the initial fermentation process begins. This sometimes produces an unpleasant [[fish]]-like smell. After the blocks have been dried, they are put in a warmer place to speed up the fermentation. Still later, they are put into large opaque [[pottery]] jars with brine and left to further ferment, during which time various beneficial [[bacteria]] transform the mixture into a further [[vitamin]]-enriched substance, similar to the way [[milk]] ferments to become [[yogurt]]. Liquids and solids are separated after the fermentation process, and the liquid becomes Korean [[Soy sauce#Korean soy sauce|soy sauce]] (Joseon ganjang; {{lang|ko-Hang|조선간장}}). The solid, which is ''doenjang'', is very [[salt]]y and quite thick, often containing (unlike most ''[[miso]]'') some whole, uncrushed soybeans. While traditional homemade ''doenjang'' is made with soybeans and brine only, many factory-made variants of ''doenjang'' contain a fair amount of wheat flour just like most factory-made soy sauce does. Some current makers also add fermented, dried, and ground [[Anchovy|anchovies]] to intensify ''doenjang'''s savor. ==Use== [[Image:12_017.jpg|thumb|right|255px|A bowl of ''doenjang jjigae'']] ''Doenjang'' can be eaten as a condiment in raw paste-form with vegetables, similar to the way some people dip celery into cheese, but it is more commonly mixed with garlic, [[sesame oil]], and sometimes ''[[gochujang]]'' to produce ''[[ssamjang]]'' which is then traditionally eaten with or without rice wrapped in [[leaf vegetable]]s such as [[Chinese cabbage]]. This dish is called ''[[ssambap]]''. Like this, doenjang is basic sauce when Koreans eat meat(samgyeobsal - 삼겹살) which is one of the most popular meat dishes. It can also be used as a component of soup broth, for example in a popular stew (''[[jjigae]]'') called ''[[doenjang jjigae]]'' which usually includes [[tofu]], various vegetables such as [[chile pepper]]s, [[zucchini]] and [[welsh onion]],<!--This is probably scallions rather than Welsh onion--> and (optionally) [[Edible mushroom|mushroom]]s, [[red meat]], or [[scallop]]s. ==Nutrition and health== ''Doenjang'' is rich in [[flavonoid]]s and beneficial vitamins, [[mineral]]s, and [[Plant hormone|hormone]]s which are sometimes claimed to possess anti-[[carcinogen]]ic properties.<ref name="doenjang">{{cite web |url = http://news.hankooki.com/lpage/society/200510/h2005102611373121950.htm |title = Korean food for defeating cancer |accessdate = 2007-11-26 |author = Prof. Kun-Young Park, [[Pusan National University]] |date = 2005-10-26 |publisher = [[Hankook Ilbo]] |language = [[Korean language|Korean]] }}</ref>. In Korean traditional meals, the menu has concentrated on vegetables and rice but ''doenjang'', which is made of soybeans, has a great deal of lysine, an essential amino acid that rice lacks. There are [[linoleic acid]] of 53% and [[linolenic acid]] of 8% which have an important role in normal growth of blood vessels and prevention of blood-vessel-related illness. Doenjang is able to ward off [[cancer]] because it has many more anti-mutation reactions. Its efficacy still exists after boiling such as ''doenjang jjigae'' or other uses.<ref name="Nutrition of doenjang">{{cite web |url = http://yijo.com/mart6/bbs.php?table=infor_01&query=print&uid=5 |title = Efficacy and Nutrition of Doenjang |accessdate = 2008-01-21 |author = Prof. Suk Ja, Yoon [[Baeja Women's College]] |date = 2004-04-16 |publisher = Public website |language = [[Korean language|Korean]] }}</ref> ==Knowledge and use of ''doenjang'' outside Korea== ''Doenjang'' is considered one of the essential sauces of authentic Korean cuisine. However, the condiment has historically been unknown outside of Korea, although recent international articles have resulted in an increase in its popularity. A 2007 Chinese article on the "Sauces of Korea" listed ''doenjang'' and ''gochujang'' as essential flavorings and explored the origins of the condiments, particularly focusing on [[Sunchang County]], where most Korean soy sauce is produced. The article pointed out that ''doenjang'' does not contain any artificial additives and in fact has healthy amounts of essential vitamins, such as [[Vitamin C]] and [[Vitamin B12]]. The health benefits of ''doenjang'' are rumored to extend longevity, and this is illustrated by the fact that out of the 32,000 in Sunchung county, eight are over 100 years old and many are over 90. The article was influential throughout China, resulting in many Chinese restaurants adding ''doenjang'' stew,<!--jjigae?--> modified slightly to Chinese tastes, to their menus shortly after publication. South Korea's ''JoongAng Ilbo'' covered this story in China on December 13, 2007.<ref>[http://article.joins.com/article/article.asp?Total_ID=2978309 JOINS | 아시아 첫 인터넷 신문<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ==See also== *[[Cheonggukjang]] *[[Fermented bean paste]] *[[Yellow soybean paste]] *[[Korean cuisine]] ==References== {{reflist}} == External links == *[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JESTTm7lmpo Different ways of consuming Doenjang (video)] *[http://www.lotteplaza.com/product_images/08212006162237_923_full.jpg Photo of South Korea-produced ''doenjang''] *[http://www.samna.co.kr/abcd/koa295.htm The history of ''doenjang''] *{{cite web |url = http://www.asa-im.or.kr/board/health_content.asp?cate=free&idx=531&page=3&search=&searchstring=&idx_image=0 |title = Longer aging time increases the anticancer and antimetastatic properties of doenjang |accessdate = 2007-11-26 |author = Prof. Kun-Young Park, [[Pusan National University]] |publisher = ASA-IM Korea |language = [[Korean language|Korean]] }} *{{cite web |url = http://www2.rda.go.kr/tpd/life/html/dietary/sauce/sauce04.htm |title = Regional doenjang |accessdate = 2007-11-26 |publisher = The Rural Development Administration of South Korea |language = [[Korean language|Korean]] }} {{Soy}} [[Category:Fermented foods]] [[Category:Korean condiments]] [[Category:Soy products]] [[Category:Umami enhancers]] [[de:Doenjang]] [[id:Doenjang]] [[ko:된장]] [[nl:Doenjang]] [[ru:Твенджан]]