Get to Know Doenjang, a Cornerstone of Korean Cooking

The traditional funky, fermented soybean paste adds a jolt of umami—and distinct Korean flavor—to anything it touches

Hyena Kwon and her mother, Seong Myeong-rye (pictured) have been making doenjang the old-fashioned way for decades in traditional large clay pots called onggi. Courtesy of Mac Doenjang

Korean food is grounded in fermentation—quite literally. 

Traditionally, large clay pots, called onggi, were buried underground to achieve optimal temperatures for fermenting and preserving their contents. Many different kinds of foods were and still are fermented; the process is so ubiquitous in the cuisine that Korea has been referred to as the “kingdom of fermented foods.”