Doenjang Jjigae

A stew of fermented soybean paste — salty, vegetal, and barely spicy.

Doenjang jjigae occupies the position a house stock occupies elsewhere: always around, rarely announced, quietly load-bearing. The fermented soybean paste gives it a salty, long-finishing flavour, related to miso but rougher and more insistent. Courgette, potato, tofu, onion, and sometimes a little meat or a few clams fill out the pot.

It arrives bubbling and is eaten by the spoonful, either straight from the shared pot or from a small bowl of your own. Alternate it with rice and banchan rather than drinking it on its own, because it is deliberately salty. At a grill table it closes the meal rather than opening it.

Spice: Mild
Format: Both
Beginner-friendly: 2/3
Main ingredients: Doenjang · Tofu · Vegetables

Editorial scale — actual heat varies from one kitchen to another. Editorial assessment.

We don't list allergens: recipes vary from one restaurant to another. For any allergy or dietary restriction, ask the restaurant directly.