02/20/2025
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The peak season for bean curd is from October to April when new beans are harvested.
Chodang Dubu Village in Gangneung has long been renowned for its bean curd, made from locally grown soybeans sourced directly from nearby farms and enriched with deep-sea water bittern. Nowadays, you can enjoy not only bean curd (dubu) and soft bean curd (sundubu) but also a variety of desserts made from soy milk.
Soybeans are believed to have originated on the Korean Peninsula and in the Manchuria region. As a result, many Korean dishes feature soybeans.
In winter, Koreans steam yellow soybeans to ferment them into soybean paste. When soybeans are kept in a dark place and regularly watered, they sprout into bean sprouts, which are also commonly used in Korean cuisine, especially in soups and salads. Roasted soybeans are ground into roasted grain powder, which can be mixed with water or milk for as a nutritious meal replacement. This powder is also used to coat rice cakes to make bean-powder-coated rice cakes. When soybeans are soaked, boiled, and ground, they become the base for soybean soup, with kongguksu (noodles in cold soybean soup) offering a refreshing summer treat. Bean curd, made by extracting protein from soybeans, captures the rich, nutty flavor of the beans and serves as a highly nutritious ingredient.
Bean curd is made from soybeans, water, and bittern—a byproduct left after seawater is evaporated to make salt. First, soaked soybeans are ground and then strained through a cloth to make soybean soup. (During this process, water-soluble proteins mix with the liquid, while oil-soluble proteins and other soybean components are filtered out as pureed soybeans). Next, bittern is added to the soybean soup, causing the water-soluble proteins to coagulate and form curds. These curds are then pressed into molds and allowed to set, forming bean curd. The texture of the bean curd is largely influenced by the type of bittern used, which also imparts a unique flavor to bean curd made in Gangneung.
Today, most bean curd is made with factory-produced bittern, but some regions still use bittern extracted from seawater. A notable example is Gangneung’s Chodang Dubu Village, where bean curd is crafted using deep-sea water sourced from over 200 meters below the surface. The various minerals in this deep-sea water help the proteins coagulate, creating delicious bean curd. Gangneung is the only place in Korea where bean curd is made with deep-sea water.
Chodang Dubu Village has long been renowned for its bean curd. The reputation rooted in a local legend about the Confucian scholar Heo Yeop, who lived here during the mid-Joseon period. Heo Yeop was the father of Heo Nanseolheon, one of the era’s greatest poets, and Heo Gyun, a notable writer of Korean novels in Hangeul. Heo Yeop had a well at his house, renowned for its excellent-tasting water, which he used to make soybean soup and extract bittern from East Sea seawater to produce bean curd. The exceptional quality of this bean curd became known in the surrounding area, inspiring the villagers to replicate his method. The well is still preserved at the birth home of Heo Gyun and Heo Nanseolheon. Additionally, the village’s name, “Chodang”, originates from Heo Yeop’s pen name.
The village began gaining fame for its bean curd in the 1970s and 1980s. During this time, local residents sold their homemade bean curd in downtown Gangneung, and as word spread about its exceptional taste, people started to flock to the village. It’s uncertain whether Heo Yeop’s original bean curd recipe has been passed down through the generations, but it is clear that the village’s unique bean curd-making techniques have built its reputation.
Recently, Chodang Dubu Village has become even more famous for its soft bean curd. Soft bean curd is enjoyed in its unshaped, coagulated form before being put into molds, offering a soft texture and natural soybean flavor that appeals to many people.
Soft bean curd is best enjoyed warm. When you mix soybean soup with bittern, it forms soft, fluffy curd. You can simply scoop this out and enjoy with a bit of spicy sauce for extra flavor. To keep it from becoming too salty, add the soy sauce gradually as you eat, allowing you to savor the natural, nutty flavor of the soft bean curd.
Sundubu jjigae (soft bean curd stew), boiled with spicy seasoning, is one of Korea's signature stew. In Chodang Dubu Village, they add jjaebok (venus clam), a specialty of Gangwon-do, to enhance the flavor of the stew. If you want something spicier, try sundubu jjamppong (spicy seafood and soft bean curd soup), which combines soft bean curd with a richly flavored, spicy seafood broth.
Recently, desserts made with blended soft bean curds, such as soft serve ice cream, gelato, and sweet rice cakes, have become incredibly popular among young people in Korea.