Fermented Vegetables
Fast-Fermented Soybean Paste
청국장
South Korea
A quick-fermented soybean paste with a strong, pungent aroma and a stringy texture from Bacillus subtilis, used in stews.
Original eatfuls sticker artwork
What it is
A closer look at Fast-Fermented Soybean Paste.
A quick-fermented soybean paste with a strong, pungent aroma and a stringy texture from Bacillus subtilis, used in stews.
What to look for
Know it when you find it.
A properly pungent aroma (expected), a stringy texture from the fermentation, and a deep, rich umami flavor.
Where it belongs
Origins and
traditions.
Food rarely respects a border. These are the places the dataset connects most strongly to Fast-Fermented Soybean Paste.
Names around the table
One food, more than one name.
Keep exploring
If this caught your eye…
Nagaland, India
Akhuni
Axone
A Naga fermented soybean paste, pungent and savoury, used to season vegetables and stews.
Chuuk State (Central FSM), Federated States of Micronesia
Apwet
Apwet is Chuukese fermented breadfruit kept for a shorter period than the longest-preserved forms, leaving a tangy, soft paste that can be cooked or served with savoury food.
North Korea
Napa Cabbage Kimchi
배추김치
The essential Korean kimchi: napa cabbage coated with gochugaru, garlic, ginger, and salted seafood (jeotgal), then fermented.
North Korea
White Kimchi
백김치
A non-spicy kimchi made without gochugaru, with napa cabbage, radish, pear, jujube, and pine nuts in a clear, refreshing brine.
Kaesong, North Korea
Bossam Kimchi
보쌈김치
A Kaesong specialty: spiced napa cabbage leaves folded around a filling of sliced pine nuts, apples, pears, chestnuts, and jujubes; elaborately wrapped and fermented; at the table the top is cut in a cross so the bundle opens like a flower; a celebratory and ceremonial dish from the historic city of Kaesong.
Marshall Islands
Bwiro
Bwiro is breadfruit fermented with saltwater, kneaded, baked in an earth oven, and stored as a tart preservation paste that can last through lean seasons.
South Korea
Ponytail Radish Kimchi
총각김치
Small whole radishes with their greens attached, fermented in a spicy chili paste, known for an extra-crunchy texture.
El Salvador
Curtido
A Salvadoran fermented cabbage and carrot slaw with vinegar and oregano, the essential pupusa companion