King of Stinky Soup aka CHEONG-GUK-JANG JJIGAE
Get past the stinky threshold and let a whole new food level reveal itself. Welcome, let’s eat some stinky soup together.
CHEONG-GUK-JANG is fermented quickly in 2-3 days and made without salt. Fermented foods are widely known for their disease-preventing and healing properties. It can reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes, lower blood pressure, acts as an anti-inflammatory and may prevent cancer (!). There are always trade-offs in life though, and the biggest downfall is its pungent aroma.
(Interesting study showing how CHEONG-GUK-JANG prevents weight gain in obese mice.)
Did you see the article about the flight that required an emergency landing because they were carrying durian in the cargo hold? The smell travelled up to the cabin and the crew feared a problem with the aircraft. Fermented foods are in the same offensive-smelling category: Stinky tofu, fermented bean paste, natto- all part of this superfood group.
Koreans who grow up with this soup will have a craving for it in adulthood. Those who didn’t won’t touch it. But come on, it’ll help you live healthier and longer. Come over to the dark side, hangry hippo.
What you need:
CHEONG-GUK-JANG
Pork
Watercress
Onion
*As with most Korean recipes, substitutions and omissions are completely acceptable. A basic stew will have tofu, kimchi and green onions. CHEONG-GUK-JANG stew with kimchi is my hands-down favourite- sadly, there was no kimchi in the house on this day. You can also just have the spartan version by just boiling it all on its own. Cook in fish broth (boil water with dried anchovy + kelp) to add more depth of flavour.
Meat options: Beef/Pork/Chicken/Seafood/Vegetarian.
Vegetable Options: Kimchi/Tofu/Mushrooms/Zucchini/Onion/Potatoes/Whatever you have kicking around.
More Flavour Options: Green onions/Leeks/Garlic/Spicy Peppers/GOCHUGARU (spicy red pepper flakes)/Fish Sauce/Salty Shrimp/DOENJANG (regular fermented soybean paste)/leftover Kimchi juice/GOCHUJANG (red pepper paste)
*Bolded ingredients are what is typically used.
What you do:
Cut up veg and meat into sizes you like to eat.
Put in pot.
Add CHEONG-GUK-JANG (usually the round bricks can serve 4 shy eaters or fill up 2 adults quite contentedly).
Add water (barely cover ingredients- this is a thick, stew-like consistency).
Boil. Simmer until you reach desired consistency.
Enjoy.
Notes:
You can add a spoon of DOEN-JANG for tasty depth of flavor and saltiness.
The heat level to this dish can be customized. Want it comfortingly creamy? Omit any spicy ingredients and bulk it up with tofu, potatoes, zucchini. Wanna wake up those taste buds with a screaming furnace? Add GOCHUGARU/GOCHUJANG/KIMCHI/slice some fresh spicy chili peppers (Thai peppers have great heat).
Meat and vegetable substitutions abound. I just happened to have watercress on hand but more typical choices are: zucchini and tofu.
You can make it completely vegetarian and fill up on tofu. Eat it without rice and it’s a perfect low-carb option. Add meat and it’s keto friendly too.
The CHEONG-GUK-JANG sold at the store near me only had this pre-seasoned one. If you get your hands on the real thing (fermented without salt), taste test as it may need seasoning.
This is a fresh product (found in the freezer or refrigerated section) so you’ll have to make the trek to a Korean grocery store. You can also make your own- Maangchi has easy to follow instructions here. I lost interest after learning I need a heating blanket and have it on all day for 2 days, but I’d love to know if you make the attempt!
If you don’t want to venture into the smelly world of mold and bacteria, but still want the magical health benefits of CHEONG-GUK-JANG, try this powder. Just add like protein powder to your milk/yogurt/smoothie/water.
CHEONG-GUK-JANG Powder 500g available on Amazon
Wanna try it without the intimidation? It does contain added salt, sugar and flavouring agents because it’s a packaged product, but they’ve made it to smell more palatable. It gets your feet wet without making it scary 😁. Just add veg/tofu/meat and water.