Cheonggukjang

Korea's pungent fast-fermented soybean paste — aged just 2–3 days for a powerfully funky, probiotic-rich flavor.

Cheonggukjang is the boldest and most intensely aromatic member of Korea's fermented soybean family, made by fermenting cooked whole soybeans with the bacterium Bacillus subtilis (naturally present on rice straw) for just two to three days at warm temperatures — producing a stringy, pungent paste that is sometimes compared to Japanese natto, though its texture is less stringy and its flavor more deeply funky. Historical records suggest it was developed as a military ration during the Three Kingdoms period precisely because its short fermentation time meant it could be produced quickly in the field, unlike the months-long process required for doenjang. The smell is famously polarizing — intense, barnyard-like, and pervasive — and apartment building rules in some Korean neighborhoods reportedly prohibit cooking it due to the aroma traveling through ventilation systems. Despite (or because of) this, cheonggukjang-jjigae is a beloved winter comfort food for Koreans who appreciate its extraordinary warmth and nutritional depth, packed with probiotics, complete proteins, and nattokinase enzymes. A restaurant specializing in cheonggukjang-jjigae in the countryside on a cold day is a very particular and profound Korean pleasure.