Doenjang
/ˈdoʊ.ən.dʒɑːŋ/noun
A Korean fermented soybean paste used as a savory seasoning and soup ingredient.
Did you know?Traditional doenjang begins with meju, fermented soybean bricks whose molds and bacteria help transform plain beans into a deeply savory paste.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient China
Old Chinese
醬
“A fermented meat or grain-based sauce or paste; the character and culinary concept later spread across East Asia.”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
醬 (tsjangH)
“Fermented sauce or paste, the source of the Sino-Korean culinary element jang.”
Premodern Korea
Korean
장 (jang)
“A traditional fermented sauce or paste, including soybean-based preparations.”
17th Century
Korean
된장 (doenjang)
“A named Korean soybean paste, formed from 된, meaning thick or solid, and 장, fermented sauce or paste.”
20th Century
English
doenjang
“An English culinary loanword for Korean fermented soybean paste, increasingly familiar through Korean cuisine.”