Warm hometown mother's taste soybean paste, red pepper paste, soy sauce

 In Korean food, sauce is the basis of flavor.

<Salt farms on the southern coast>

There are soybean paste, red pepper paste, and soy sauce, and among them, soy sauce can be said to be the most important. This is the first thing that stimulates the sense of taste, and it is slightly different from sauces in the West.

Of course, there is salted seafood, which is similar to this, and it is also used as a secondary ingredient in kimchi, but soy sauce is not used as an ingredient in itself, but is always combined with something to create various flavors.

It has not been long since we started making and eating gochujang as we do now. It is said that red pepper originated in South America and was introduced to Korea in the late Joseon Dynasty. This can be seen in the form of red pepper powder added to today's cabbage kimchi.

Chojang is a seasoned gochujang with vinegar and ground garlic, and is often used in jeon or hoe.

In China, there are also some soy sauces (Chunjang), and in Southeast Asia, some fish are fermented to make soy sauce similar to salted seafood.

In Korea, it is a dipping culture, so rather than eating buchimgae as it is, people often dip it in soy sauce and eat it.

During the Goryeo Dynasty, due to the invasion of the Mongol army, there was a Monggojeong in present-day Masan, and as a result, Monggo soy sauce became famous.

The basic composition of soy sauce is meju, which is made from pressed soybeans. In the past, on the 15th day of the first lunar month, soy sauce was made, soybean paste was made with meju, salt was added to the remaining soy sauce, and it was stored in a jar and made as a daily ingredient. However, these days, separate meju for soy sauce is made.

It is said that in old families, in order to keep the taste of soy sauce from being lost, just as the fire in the hearth never goes out, the seed soy sauce was kept and passed down by the clan.

In modern times, with the advancement of science, it has been known that the fungus in the straw used to make meju is a mold fungus (Aspergillus strain).

There is a proverb that says that even if you make meju with soybeans, people won't believe it. However, you can make meju with soybeans, but you can't make meju with red beans. It is possible to do it with other legumes, but it is not done due to economic value, preservation, texture, and appearance.