Doenjang

Doenjang or soybean paste is a type of fermented bean paste made entirely of soybean and brine used in Korean cuisine. It is also a byproduct of soup and soy sauce production. It is sometimes used as a relish. The earliest soybean fermentations in Korea seem to have begun prior to the era of the Three Kingdoms. The Records of the Three Kingdoms, a Chinese historical text written and published in the third century AD, mentions that "Goguryeo people are good at brewing fermented soybeans" in the section named Dongyi (Eastern foreigners) in the Book of Wei. Jangdoks used for doenjang production are found in the mural paintings of Anak Tomb No. 3 from the 4th century Goguryeo. In Samguk Sagi, a historical record of the Three Kingdoms era, it is written that doenjang and ganjang, along with meju and jeotgal, were prepared for the wedding ceremony of King Sinmun in February 683. Sikhwaji, a section from Goryeosa (History of Goryeo), recorded that doenjang and ganjang were included in the relief supplies in 1018, after a Khitan invasion, and in 1052, when a famine occurred. Joseon texts such as Guhwangchwaryo and Jeungbo sallim gyeongje contain detailed procedures on how to brew good-quality doenjang and ganjang. Gyuhap Chongseo explains how to pick a date for brewing, what to forbear, and how to keep and preserve doenjang and ganjang.

Source: Wikipedia