Fast-Fermented Soybean StewCheonggukjang

I grew up associating cheonggukjang with my paternal grandfather. He ate it three mornings a week, always at the same table, always with the window open even in winter. There was a reason for the window. Cheonggukjang smells like nothing else — a powerful, barnyard-style fermented smell that Koreans either find nostalgic or genuinely off-putting. My grandfather found it nostalgic. I, as a child, found it alarming.

Cheonggukjang is often called the Korean equivalent of natto — Japan's fermented soybeans — and the comparison is fair. Both are produced through bacterial fermentation at a warm temperature over a short period (two to three days), and both have an aggressive aroma that doesn't translate well to appetites raised on milder foods.

The first time I cooked it myself, I was in my late twenties and trying to reconnect with my grandfather through his food. I dissolved the paste into anchovy stock on the stove. The smell hit hard. My neighbors definitely noticed. But what came out of the pot was not what I expected: a smooth, deeply savory stew with layers of fermented umami that no other ingredient could replicate. The tofu absorbed the broth and became almost custard-like. The zucchini softened into gentle sweetness. The aroma that cooked off was a fraction of what came out of the jar.

The lesson that surprised me: open the window before you open the jar, not after the stew starts cooking. The paste is more aromatic before heat than during.

Cheonggukjang is a probiotic powerhouse and one of the most traditional health foods in Korean cuisine. If you can get past the smell — and you will, because it fades with cooking — the flavor is extraordinary.