Condiment
Traditional Doenjang
S tier
Traditional doenjang is Korean soybean paste from meju blocks: chunky, funky, saltier and more rustic than Japanese miso, the stew (jjigae) backbone. It should smell of ferment and soy, not of only salt. A lump in a boiling jjigae. Miso is the wrong substitute if you want doenjang's rustic bite. Aged is darker; mild is tamed.
Track this ingredient
Unit
Characteristics
Preparations
Doenjang JjigaeSsam
Traits
Chunky FunkyJjigaeKoreanLump In StewMejuNot MisoRusticSalt Funk
History
KR
Meju-based doenjang was the everyday Korean soybean paste.
KR
Tub traditional doenjang filled apartment kitchens.
Traditional doenjang was specified against mild export pastes and against miso.