What better way to chase away the chill of the day than with a bowl of nutritious, colorful, and delicious stew! I understand we’re approaching summer, and stew might not be the first choice for supper or beach outings. But being proactive never hurts. Let’s just say, I’m getting ready for colder months. I’m not only diving into delightful dishes, but also enjoying learning Korean vocabulary. In Korean, ‘jjigae’ means soup.
Join me this week as I continue to delve into the rich world of Korean Cuisine.
Doenjang Jjigae stands as one of Korea’s beloved stew dishes. Each household has its own take on ingredients and preparation. For my learning journey, I’ll be following Sue’s online recipe from My Korean Kitchen. It appears straightforward, and all the ingredients are conveniently available at Seoul Mart on Broad Street!
I recently prepared this stew for my family’s supper, and it was a hit! I’m amazed at how the various pastes blended to create a vibrant orange hue that complemented the vegetables perfectly. The combination of beef and rice water provided a lovely balance to the spiciness, while the potato added a pleasing thickness to the broth. Following the recipe and sticking to the listed ingredients without any alterations resulted in a stew that exceeded my expectations. It was my first attempt, but certainly not my last.
Here is a screencast of the ingredients I used to recreate Doenjang Jjigae and my recreated stew.
In recreating this stew, I relied on two essential ingredients that form the backbone of Korean Cuisine. Firstly, there’s doenjang (soybean paste), a staple in many Korean dishes and known for its positive effects on gut health and overall well-being. Secondly, I incorporated ssamjang (Korean spicy dipping sauce) paste, which is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and naturally sweetened. Unlike conventional hot sauces like tabasco or sriracha, ssamjang, is fermented and imbued with a salty depth of flavor.
According to Elisabeth Sherman, a writer and senior editor at Matador Network, the ‘jang’ sauces – including doenjang, ssamjang, and ganjang (fermented soy sauce) – form the holy trinity of South Korean Cuisine, all of which are fermented. Fermentation lies at the heart of Korean culinary tradition, offering both practicality and significant health benefits that have been valued for thousands of years.
This video captures my learning reflection for the week, showcasing an enjoyable journey of discovery. Not only did I find the overall experience enriching, but it also provided a delightful opportunity to savor a flavorful stew with my family. Stay tuned for next week’s recreation of another delectable Korean cuisine!
Check out these resources I utilized this week for my learning project:
Rowena, the stew you made looks so yummy! makes me want to grab a fuzzy blanket and curl up on the couch all cozy.
Excellent job!
I definitely will have to give this recipe a try in the future. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Rowena,
Ano thumbs up Rowena. You are really challenging me to explore the Korean dishes.
Keeping this stew for winter instead of my Nigerian peppersoup soup. Thanks for sharing your video as well.
Sorry Rowena its typo. I wanted to write Another. I think my laptop is tired :😊
Hi Ola!
Thank you for the thumbs up! I’m so glad to hear that you’re being challenged to dive into Korean cuisine—it’s such a rich and flavorful world to explore. Keeping that stew for winter sounds like a cozy plan, alongside your Nigerian pepper soup. It’s awesome to switch things up and try new flavors! I’m looking forward to sharing this week’s cuisine!
Hey there, Mariia!
Wow, thank you so much for your kind words! It really means a lot to me that you’re enjoying the videos and following along with my Korean cuisine journey. Isn’t it amazing how there’s always something new to discover? Doenjang and ssamjang are such flavorful additions to dishes, and I’m thrilled to have used them this week. Thanks again for your support and encouragement—Stay tuned for next week’s cuisine 🙂
Hi Rowena! Thanks for sharing your videos to show what you’ve learned and accomplished so far!! It’s so great to see your progress and all the new things you learn about Korean cuisine every week! I have never heard of doenjang and ssamjang before haha, so I am glad I am learning new things as I follow your learning project journey! Great job!