Crazy Korean Cooking Sempio Togul Doenjang

This robustly flavorful version of this essential Korean ingredient is our favorite for more frequent use or if you’re just starting out cooking Korean cuisine. Its distinct nuttiness and rice wine-like sweetness are what set it apart from similar brands—plus, it’s crafted from organic Korean soybeans. This incredible paste is rich and thick, punctuated with toothsome bits of soybean that give it a pleasant texture. Its distinct nuttiness and rice wine-like sweetness are what sets it apart from similar brands—plus, it’s crafted from organic Korean soybeans. This incredible paste is rich and thick, punctuated with toothsome bits of soybean that give it a pleasant texture. This ticks all the boxes for what makes doenjang so delicious and versatile—it’s salty and savory, with an earthy sweetness—but it reads as far more complex and nuanced than many we’ve tasted. It's almost the same umami nuttiness of a top-quality Parmesan or cheddar.

Ingredients

Ingredients:Water, soybean, sea salt, distilled alcohol (derived from agricultural products)
Specifications

Net Weight: 1.9 lbs
Place of Origin: Korea
How to use

Slowly fermented for 6 months at a low temperature in an underground tunnel, this doenjang has a deep, rich flavor as if it’s homemade. It’s crafted in Yeongdong-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea.

Korean cuisine is founded on three essential jangs (thick sauces made from a base of fermented soybeans). Each contributes its own unique notes to the cuisine’s signature flavors. Doenjang—a thick, smooth soybean paste—is best incorporated into foods like soups, dressings and sauces (including ssamjang, a popular Korean barbecue sauce added to meat-filled lettuce wraps). You can think of doenjang as the Korean answer to miso, with a more deeply savory and salty flavor.

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HOW TO USE

Though very different from Japanese miso, doenjang can be used in a similar way when playing in the kitchen. Traditionally used as a soup base, it’s also lovely for building flavors when cooking meat or for adding savory contrast to vegetables (whether roasted, steamed or sautéed). We love it in dressings and marinades, too. And it’s a main component of ssamjang, the classic flavorful condiment added to Korean lettuce wraps filled with grilled meats.
To make it, start with a 2:1 doenjang/gochujang mixture and add minced garlic, minced scallion, toasted sesame seeds and sesame oil, then adjust sweetness with honey or brown sugar.

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