Korea’s traditional fermenting food culture “jang making” has been inscribed to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Using beans as the main ingredient to make meju (fermented soybean blocks), it is then used to make different kind of jang including soybean paste and red chili paste. This fermenting food culture is Korea’s 23rd addition to the UNESCCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

UNESCO not only added jang making, but also the knowledge, beliefs and practices related to the method. From the whole family coming together to make jang, to sharing different procedures with the neighbors, and finally sharing the completed jang with the neighbors, every process from the beginning to the end of this tradition has been acknowledged. Koreans’ strong beliefs of the advantages of jang in diet and the special performances of rites or using amulets for a successful jang fermentation made this practice unique to Korea.  

Jang is a basic sauce of almost all Korean food, making it a necessity for Korean diet. Soybean paste is used to make soybean paste soup, soy sauce adds flavor to Bulgogi, and red chili paste for Bibimbap, jang is used in most of Korea’s representative dishes. Jang is not just a fermented sauce but is truly a heritage of Korea’s food culture.  

Visitors to Korea can experience the fermenting culture of Korea that have continued for thousands of years by tasting various type of Korean food made using jang. Trying soybean paste soup made using traditional method or galbijjim (braised galbi) marinated in soy sauce is a good start to understanding Korea’s fermented food culture.