Cheonggukjang-jjigae

A pungent, robustly flavoured stew made from rapidly fermented whole soybeans — beloved by health-conscious Koreans.

Cheonggukjang is the more pungent, shorter-fermented cousin of doenjang — whole soybeans are fermented for just two to three days at warm temperatures, producing a paste with a sharp, funky aroma that polarises first-time tasters but rewards persistence with extraordinary depth of flavour. The resulting stew, cheonggukjang-jjigae, has a thick, almost grainy consistency from the whole bean pieces still present in the paste, and its smell has been compared (unfavourably by the uninitiated) to very strong cheese or natto. Yet Koreans revere it precisely for its intensity: the fermentation process creates an abundance of probiotics and isoflavones, and traditional Korean medicine categorises it as a highly restorative, gut-strengthening food. The stew typically contains tofu, kimchi, zucchini, and mushrooms — the vegetables both absorb the powerful paste flavour and soften the overall effect of the dish. Rural restaurants and health-food-oriented restaurants in Korea prominently advertise cheonggukjang as a marker of authenticity and nutritional seriousness, and many Korean grandmothers consider it the most healthful of all Korean soups. Opening the pot lid at the table inevitably draws glances from nearby diners.