Doenjang-jjigae

Doenjang-jjigae is fermented soybean paste simmered into a savoury, earthy stew with tofu and vegetables. It is the everyday stew that anchors most Korean home meals, plainer and less showy than kimchi jjigae but eaten far more often.

What it really is

Doenjang, a fermented soybean paste with a deep, earthy funk unlike the sweeter gochujang used elsewhere in Korean cooking, dissolves into a simmering broth alongside potato, zucchini, tofu and whatever vegetables are on hand. The stew needs little else — doenjang alone carries enough savoury depth to season the whole pot, and the long ferment behind the paste is doing most of the flavour work before the stew even starts.

Doenjang, not gochujang, is the base here. The two Korean pastes get confused by newcomers, but doenjang is savoury and fermented rather than sweet and chilli-forward; swapping one for the other changes the dish into something else entirely.

How it is served

• Bubbling in a small pot, straight to the table.
• With rice and a spread of banchan, as part of a full meal.
• Rarely on its own, since it's built to anchor a larger spread rather than stand alone.

How to write it on the menu

• Flag the soy.
• It is naturally vegetarian in its tofu-and-vegetable form; note if meat or seafood is added, since some versions include it.
• Say that it's a milder, earthier stew than kimchi jjigae, since the two are often confused by guests unfamiliar with either.