It’s rather appropriate that this dish is being featured the same month as Korea’s bizarre foods. As there are so many off-the-wall Korean foods, cheonggukjang didn’t quite make the top 10 – but don’t let that trick you into thinking it’s tame! The smell is often compared to locker rooms and smelly socks, and its preparation has been known to draw the ire of neighbors both abroad and in Korea. You know when the family next door is cooking this stuff.
Cheonggukjang is made of soybeans that are soaked in hot water for 10-20 hours. The contents then get boiled, cooled down somewhat to 60 degrees Celsius, and then covered with a warm blanket to remain at 45 degrees for a couple of days more. The fermentation process triggers the spread of aspergillus orzyae on the surface of soybeans and causing the breakdown of soybean protein and bacillus subtilis that accelerates the maturation process. In two to three days’ time the cheonggukjang is ready.
Despite its uniqueness, however, it’s absolutely delicious once you’ve acquired the taste for it, as is the case with many fermented foods, and it’s as healthy as it gets. Asians routinely have much lower instances of breast cancer than in the West, part of which is attributed to their high consumption of beans in the form of tofu, doenjang (된장, bean paste – known in Japan as “miso”), and our cuisine of the month (the Japanese version of which is called “natto”). Research has also shown this probiotic food to have a positive impact on cholesterol levels and help with lean muscle gain.
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