Cheonggukjang is a fermented soybean

Soybean

The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...

 paste used in Korean cuisine. It contains whole as well as ground soybeans.

Production

It can be made in 2 to 3 days through fermentation of boiled soybeans, adding Bacillus subtilis

Bacillus subtilis

Bacillus subtilis, known also as the hay bacillus or grass bacillus, is a Gram-positive, catalase-positive bacterium commonly found in soil. A member of the genus Bacillus, B. subtilis is rod-shaped, and has the ability to form a tough, protective endospore, allowing the organism to tolerate...

, which is usually contained in the air or in the jip, dried rice plants, at 40 °C without adding salt, compared with the much longer fermentation period required for doenjang

Doenjang

Doenjang is a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste. Its name literally means "thick paste" in Korean.-Production:...

, another, less pungent variety of Korean soybean paste. Like many forms of doenjang, cheonggukjang is paste-like in texture, but also includes some whole, uncrushed soybeans.

Cheonggukjang may also be made by fermenting boiled soybeans in a warm place, pounding a portion of them, and adding salt and red chili powder.

History

Cheonggukjang is most often used to prepare a stew, which is also simply called cheonggukjang, but may be called cheonggukjang jjigae

Jjigae

Jjigae is a Korean dish similar to a Western stew. There are many different varieties but it is typically made with meat, seafood or vegetables in a broth seasoned with gochujang, doenjang, ganjang or saeujeot. Jjigae is typically served in a communal dish and boiling hot.A Korean meal almost...

to avoid confusion.^photo Cheonggukjang jjigae often includes additional ingredients, such as potato

Potato

The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...

es, onion

Onion

The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...

s, and tofu

Tofu

is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and others. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu...

.

Nutrition and health

Cheonggukjang is generally considered to be a healthy food (particularly in the winter), as it is rich in vitamins and other nutrients, though its very strong odor is not universally enjoyed. Some people have commented that this soup gives off the aroma of wet socks.
Doenjang may be used to replace it by people who dislike its smell.

In 1993, odorless cheonggukjang was invented by Dr. Hyun Kyu JOO, a former professor of KunKook Univ. and obtained a patent in 1998 on a method for removing this food's characteristic smell.

Cheonggukjang is also believed to aid in digestion. For this purpose, cheonggukjang pills are produced in South Korea.

See also

• Korean cuisine
• Jjigae
  Jjigae
  Jjigae is a Korean dish similar to a Western stew. There are many different varieties but it is typically made with meat, seafood or vegetables in a broth seasoned with gochujang, doenjang, ganjang or saeujeot. Jjigae is typically served in a communal dish and boiling hot.A Korean meal almost...
  
  
• Yellow soybean paste
  Yellow soybean paste
  Yellow soybean paste is a fermented paste made from yellow soybeans, salt, and water; wheat flour, though not formerly used, is often used as an additional ingredient in the modern day, and potassium sorbate may also be used as a preservative...
  
  
• Fermented bean paste
  Fermented bean paste
  Fermented bean paste is a category of fermented foods typically made from ground soybeans, which are indigenous to the cuisines of East and Southeast Asia...
  
  
• Doenjang
  Doenjang
  Doenjang is a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste. Its name literally means "thick paste" in Korean.-Production:...
  
  
• Natto
  Natto
  is a traditional Japanese food made from soybeans fermented with Bacillus subtilis. It is popular especially as a breakfast food. As a rich source of protein and probiotics, nattō and the soybean paste miso formed a vital source of nutrition in feudal Japan. Nattō can be an acquired taste because...
  
  
• Miso
  Miso
  is a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and the fungus , the most typical miso being made with soy. The result is a thick paste used for sauces and spreads, pickling vegetables or meats, and mixing with dashi soup stock to serve as miso...
  
  
• dòuchǐ
  Douchi
  Douchi , also called Chinese fermented black beans , is a flavoring most popular in the cuisine of China, and is used to make black bean sauce....
  
  
• Stinky tofu
  Stinky tofu
  Stinky tofu or chòu dòufu is a form of fermented tofu that has a strong odor. It is a popular snack in East and Southeast Asia, particularly mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong and in East Asian enclaves elsewhere where it is usually found homemade, at night markets or roadside stands, or as a...
  
  
• Tempeh
  Tempeh
  Tempeh , or tempe , is a traditional soy product originally from Indonesia. It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form, similar to a very firm vegetarian burger patty...
  
  

External links

• Cheonggukjang recipe
• Cheonggukjang jjigae recipe
• Cheonggukjang site (Korean)
• Cheonggukjang recipe with pictures