The Heart of Korean Cuisine and Culture
What is Jang?
For 2 millennia, 장 jang has been one of the foundations of Korean cuisine, and is at the heart of Korean cuisine’s depth of flavour, richness, character, and simultaneous tingling of many of the 6 tastes.
Beyond food, it is a reflection of Korean heritage, connecting generations of families, and gathering communities, inscribed to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2024
Let’s explore what jang is, why it matters, and how it became the backbone of Korean cuisine.
What is jang?
Jang refers to Korea’s fermented soybean sauces.
Many cultures have developed fermented foods, and Korea’s jangs have their own unique tradition, diversity, and cultural significance.
Korean cooking uses jang to season, rather than just salt, adding layers of savoury depth and aroma alongside salinity.
The three fundamental jangs are:
간장 ganjang – soy sauce
된장 doenjang – fermented soybean paste
고추장 gochujang – fermented chilli paste
Together, these form the foundation of countless Korean dishes.
From soups and stews to marinades and dipping sauces, jang is present in almost every corner of Korean cuisine.
Jangs are very concentrated in flavour, and the ways of cooking with it are conceptually quite unique, as is with many other fermented sauces from other cultures.
Most Korean foods use only a small amount of jang. A few tablespoons is often enough to form the base and medium that holds everything together, and allow other ingredients to flourish, without the use of ingredients to add bulk.
Quite different to how cream, or tomatoes, or coconut milk are used to create the base and add bulk. Picture a ratatouille, or parmigiana di melanzane, or shakshuka. Or cream in a gratin dauphinoise or beef Stroganoff.
Jang weaves and connects the ingredients together, blanketing them softly.
To understand Korean cuisine, you must understand jang.
A brief history
The history of jang stretches back 2 millennia.
Historical records suggest that fermented soybean products existed in Korea during the Three Kingdoms period, and references to jang appear since 280AD.
Over time, jang making became increasingly widespread, an essential household skill, with knowledge of the fermentation process passed down from generation to generation.
The philosophy of jang
At its heart, jang reflects values deeply embedded in Korean culture.
Patience
Jang cannot be rushed.
Traditional fermentation takes months, years, and time is not an obstacle, it is one of the ingredients.
Jang is usually made to last months, years. It is not the product of whim and spontaneity, but of respect for longevity and long usage.
Harmony
Jang allows other ingredients to flourish.
Korean cuisine, like Korean culture, values harmony, and jangs bring balance and cohesion with other ingredients.
Respect for nature
Embrace nature rather than control it.
The microorganisms are embraced and naturally allowed to develop, flowing with seasonal temperatures, sunlight, fresh air, and carefully selected ingredients.
Family and community
Jang making was a communal activity.
Families, neighbours, and villages shared knowledge, techniques, and labour. Many recipes were handed down through generations, preserving not only flavours but also stories and traditions.
How is jang made?
Traditional jangs begin with the same starting point.
메주 meju
Meju is a block of cooked soybeans shaped and allowed to naturally ferment, and is the foundation for all three fundamental jangs.
Soybeans are soaked and cooked before being formed into blocks. These blocks are tied up in straw and hung to dry, allowing microorganisms to naturally take hold.
Rows of meju hanging from rooftops is one of the iconic images of Korea’s jang culture.
The role of 장독 jangdok
장독 jangdok are the traditional earthen pots that have become an icon of Korean food culture.
For centuries, rows of jangdok could be found outside Korean homes, quietly fermenting sauces throughout the changing seasons, or storing jeotgal, rice, and other important necessities.
Jangdok are porous, allowing the contents to breathe while remaining protected. This interaction with the environment helps shape the flavour and character of jangs.
The sight of jangdok arranged beneath the Korean sky remains one of the most recognisable images of traditional Korean food heritage.
The three fundamental jangs
간장 Ganjang
Ganjang and doenjang are made together, in the same jangdok, like twins: the liquid ganjang, the solid doenjang.
Created through the fermentation of meju in saltwater in jangdok, ganjang is the liquid half, and develops a rich savoury depth and aromatic complexity.
Read more about ganjang (coming soon).
된장 Doenjang
The meju that is transformed through time in the jangdok, along with ganjang. It develops a robust, earthy flavour and remarkable depth.
Read more about doenjang (coming soon).
고추장 Gochujang
Gochujang combines powdered meju with with chilli powder, glutinous rice, barley, and salt.
The result is a paste that balances gentle heat, sweetness, and savoury depth.
Read more about gochujang (coming soon).
How is Korean jang different from fermented sauces from other cultures?
Whilst fermented sauces are a similar theme across different cultures, each is unique, even amongst the close neighbours of Korea, China, and Japan.
Korean
Korean jang prioritises natural fermentation, and maintains much of the traditional recipes and methods, keeping the artisanal tradition and taste alive.
The ingredients are prepped, then left to nature and time, letting the bacteria take hold naturally.
Korea is unique in using a little of the mother 씨간장 ssiganjang (literally meaning seed soy sauce) to make ganjang, then topping up the ssiganjang with the new, keeping the lineage ever extending.
Ganjang is unique in not using any wheat traditionally, and is therefore naturally gluten free.
Gochujang is unique to Korea.
Chinese
Chinese fermented sauces have more variations due to the scale of China. Many of them contain wheat.
Soy sauce in Mandarin, jiàngyóu, or in Cantonese, chǐyóu, is made by soaking a mixture of soybeans (different to Korea’s block of meju), and wheat, in brine water. The wheat helps introduce the cultures to start fermentation naturally.
Similar to ganjang and doenjang, the remaining soybean and wheat mixture from Chinese soy sauce production is used as a sauce, called douchi.
Japanese
Japanese fermented sauces have a slightly different philosophy, focussing on precision and control.
Both shoyu, Japanese for soy sauce, and miso are inoculated with koji to kickstart the fermentation, different to Korea’s philosophy of leaving to natural fermentation.
Shoyu is often made with equal parts of soybeans and wheat.
Miso is made in its own right, with a paste of soybeans, different to the Korean and Chinese synergetic production process of soy sauce and soybean paste.
Ganjang, jiàngyóu or chǐyóu, shoyu
In a very simplified nutshell, ganjang is like jiàngyóu or chǐyóu without the wheat, and shoyu is like jiàngyóu or chǐyóu with koji to innoculate.
Ganjang is bolder in flavour, doesn’t have sweetness, and is saltier.
Jiàngyóu/chǐyóu is similarly bold, but with a bit of sweetness.
Shoyu is more delicate in flavour, and often sweeter from the sugar released from wheat breakdown.
Traditional and industrial jang
Traditional jang
Traditionally, most Korean households made their own jang.
What was once a ubiquitous part of life is now an art to which few dedicate their time and energy.
Traditional jang relies on time, natural fermentation, and seasonal maturation, to produce depth of flavour naturally.
Industrial jang
But today, in these times of rushing and convenience, most buy industrially produced jang.
Whilst industrial methods have made jang accessible, affordable, and convenient, they often prioritise speed, efficiency, and cost, similar to the industrialisation of the food industry globally, whether it is balsamic vinegar, cheese, chocolate.
Production times are shortened, ingredients often added to shortcut or substitute flavour development, and products are frequently pasteurised, destroying the probiotics, to make storage and transportation cheaper.
Jang, which fundamentally requires patience and time, and alive with probiotics, has been forced to lose that which is its essence.
Here at Jungdam, you can experience the art and taste true to Korean heritage.
Why artisanal jang matters
The artisans that Jungdam curates transcend great food.
In a world that increasingly values speed and convenience, jang offers a reminder that some things are worth waiting for, that great things come to those who wait.
They represent Korean culture and heritage, and allow you to bring a piece of that into your life and experience it yourself. The artisanal products are merely the medium through which you share that story.
Many of them carry on generations of family history and expertise in their craft, dedicating their lives to preserve methods and tastes from the Joseon Dynasty, to share that story with you.
Many are government recognised Korean Food Grand Masters (대한민국식품명인), masters of authentic traditional Korean culinary heritage.
If they stop, so do their stories.
You can be a part of keeping their stories alive.
What does jang taste like?
Jang refers to an entire family of fermented sauces and pastes, and there is no single flavour profile, but most traditional jangs share characteristics:
Savoury depth – developed through fermentation, often earthy, mushroom notes. Rich in amino acids, and volatile aromatic compounds, helps enhance the scent and flavour
Complexity – flavours evolve and unfold rather than appearing all at once
Balance – saltiness, aroma, and richness work together
Character – each jang develops its own unique personality depending on ingredients, environment, and fermentation time
Health benefits of jang
Beyond benefits for the palate, it is also nutritious.
Jangs have gut-friendly probiotics from the natural process of fermentation that are beneficial for the microbiome biodiversity, and can aid digestion and strengthen the immune system.
Sadly, in the industrial jangs, these are destroyed through pasteurisation.
Studies have shown gochujang has both anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects, and doenjang improves glucose tolerance and aids weight management.
Jang beyond Korea
As Korean cuisine gains popularity around the world, so too has interest in jang. Millions of bottles, jars and tubs worth of gochujang, ganjang, doenjang are being exported globally every year, although the vast majority are industrially made jang.
Chefs increasingly use jang in fine dining, incorporating them into dishes beyond Korean cooking.
Pascal Barbot of Michelin starred L'Astrance in Paris made a Korean inspired dish with a sauce of ganjang, doenjang, and yuja.
Bas van Kranen of 2 Michelin starred Flore in Amsterdam presented a quail dish using gochujang, rosehip, and chicory.
Jang will always remain deeply connected to its Korean roots, with every spoonful carrying centuries of accumulated knowledge, tradition, and craftsmanship.
Now, it is a bridge that connects global cuisine to the essence of Korean cuisine.
Ready to experience artisanal jang?
The best ingredients are not for everyone.
Some do not see the value, some cannot discern the difference.
But if you believe and align with any of heritage, provenance, craftsmanship, great taste, foods that nourish and are minimally processed, you have come to the right place.
To experience 장 jang is to live the foundation of Korean cuisine, culture, and heritage.
You have come to the right place to continue your journey, and be a part of sharing the experience and stories of Korea’s heritage. Who knows, perhaps it will become a part of your story too, fleeting or lasting.
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