Have you had doenjang before? Doenjang (된장) is an important condiment in Korean cuisine. Like Japanese miso, it is a paste made of fermented soybeans, used to flavour soups and stews, and to dress warm vegetable dishes. But the similarities stop right around there.
Miso is made by introducing a substrate (usually rice, barley or soybeans) inoculated with the aspergillus oryzae mold into cooked and mashed soybeans and salt, and then packing it into vessels for months to years to ferment. You can learn more about aspergillus oryzae and its role in Japanese cuisine here.
Unlike miso, doenjang production does not depend on the introduction of a starter culture, but the process is no less sophisticated. To make doenjang, soybeans are first boiled, pounded and partially ground, and then pressed into blocks called meju (메주). During the first phase of the fermentation process, the blocks are hung in well-ventilated areas to dry. After several weeks, the blocks are taken down and placed in giant earthenware crocks filled with salty brine. Chili peppers and charcoal are added to the crocks to prevent the growth of molds (and, according to tradition, to keep bad spirits away). After a few more months of fermentation, the meju blocks removed from their crocks, and kneaded by hands until they become a paste.
Blocks of meju hung to dry. “Korea_Korail_Temple_Stay_67” by Jeon Han for Republic of Korea is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Doenjang crocks
Due to these radically different fermentation processes, miso and doenjang taste quite unlike one another, and I wouldn’t recommend substituting one for the other if you are after an authentic taste of their respective culinary traditions. There are many types of miso, each with its own unique flavour, but I find that in general, it has a more subtle, nutty taste. Doenjang, on the other hand, has a much more intense, pungent flavour. There is nothing subtle about the way it smells or tastes! That said, it is a very warming food with its own peculiar powers of seduction.
Unfortunately, shopping around Victoria, I found it very difficult to find doenjang that did not contain gluten, or even nastier things, like seed malt and disodium 5′-guanylate, industry cheats to cut out traditional fermentation times while still attaining the sought-after umami flavour of fermented foods.
I was therefore quite happy to find doenjang at my local Korean grocery store made from only salt and non-gmo soybeans. I wasn’t able to find out much about the company, Cho Moon Sook except that they are based in Abbotsford, BC.
Today’s dish is my version of 된장무침 (doenjang-muchim), or doenjang-seasoned vegetables. For this recipe, I dressed shimeji mushroom and the Asian vegetable known in Chinese as yu choy sum (Brassica rapa var. parachinensis) in a garlicky doenjang sauce. I also replaced the usual hot pepper powder with a bit of grated ginger. You can use any leafy green vegetable for this recipe, and the mushrooms are an idiosyncratic addition of mine, so feel free to experiment! Bok choy and cabbage are common doenjang-muchim stars. For a more authentic doenjang-muchim recipe, please check out Maangchi’s bok choy version. Whichever vegetable you end up using, this recipe makes for a wonderful side dish to have with these Korean ribs! Enjoy!
Joëlle
Serves 2
Doenjang-muchim is a simple but tasty Korean side dish in which vegetables are dressed in a doenjang-based sauce (doenjang is a delicious paste made from fermented soybeans). This less-spicy version features yu choy sum and shimeji mushroom.
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Ingredients
- 1 bundle yu choy sum
- 1 pack shimeji mushroom, base cut off
- 1 tbsp doenjang (soybean paste)
- 1 tsp mirin
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- Sesame seeds, toasted
- Scallions, thinly sliced
- Perilla (or shiso -- see notes)
Instructions
- Wash yu choy sum and cut stems off. Cut crosswise into thirds and place into a steamer basket.
- Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil. Steam yu choy sum for two minutes. Remove steamer basket, but leave the water to simmer.
- Cut the base off shimeji bundle, and separate the mushroom from one another. Add them to the simmering water and cook until soft, and not much water remains (3-5 minutes). Pour the mushrooms and remaining water into a serving bowl.
- Squeeze the water from the cooked yu choy sum and add them to the bowl.
- Add the dressing, mix well, garnish with sesame seeds, scallions and perilla.
- Serve the dish at room temperature. 잘 먹겠습니다!
Notes
Perilla and shiso are two related plants from the mint family. Shiso (シ, Perilla frutescens var. crispa), which comes in a green and a purple variety, is used in Japanese cooking, as a garnish or to add colour to pickled foods. The leaves are smaller and they have a stronger mint flavour. Perilla (깻잎, Perilla frutescens var. frutescens) leaves are milder tasting and much larger. They are used in Korean cooking as a main ingredient in a variety of side dishes, or as a wrapper for meat or other fillings.
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