How to buy and use Doenjang

Doenjang, like gochujang and soy sauce, is one of the essential ingredients in Korean cooking. In rural areas, people often make it themselves, a process referred to as "jang making", where they produce soy sauce, gochujang, and doenjang from scratch. Of course, those living in cities who have family in the countryside often share homemade jang, so they don't need to worry about buying it. However, most people purchase store-bought versions.

In Germany, you can find three main brands of doenjang: Chung Jung One Sunchang, Sempio, and CJ Haechandle. All are reputable brands with good products. However, it's important to distinguish between ssamjang and doenjang. Ssamjang is a dipping sauce used specifically when eating ssam (Korean wraps).