Jang, fermented soy pastes and sauces (meju, ganjang and doenjang)
Jang, pastas y salsas de soja fermentada (meju, ganjang y doenjang)
- Date
- c. siglos III-VII · confidence low
- Place
- Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, South Korea
- Credited to
- Peoples of Goguryeo and Silla
- Field
- Life & health
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
The Korean system of fermenting boiled soybeans in blocks (meju) with moulds and bacteria, then deriving soy sauce (ganjang) and paste (doenjang). It is the flavour basis of Korean cuisine and a storable source of protein.
The Sanguozhi (3rd century) praises the Goguryeo as skilled fermenters, and the Samguk Sagi (683) lists jang and si among royal wedding gifts in Silla. Whether the technique came from China (jiang) or developed on the peninsula is debated.
What it led to
- winter-storable plant protein
- base of Korean cuisine, including later chilli pastes (gochujang)
- the household tradition of jang-making and large jar terraces (jangdokdae)