ABSTRACT
Koreans have been known for their taste for fermented foods and their skill in making them for more than 1500 years.
The fermentation products span a whole spectrum of raw materials and use various methods of preparation. Major fermented food items, excluding alcoholic beverages, consumed today in Korea may be divided into three categories (see Table 12.1). The first category is kimchi, which is consumed
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the most. Kimchi has napa cabbage and/or radish as its main ingredient, although virtually any kind of vegetable can be used. Fermentation is achieved in a comparatively short time. Second in consumption are soy-based products, which include ganjang (soy sauce), doenjang (soybean paste), chongkukjang (quick fermented soybean paste), and gochujang (hot pepper-soybean paste). This category comprises major condiments in Korean cuisine. Traditionally, most households prepare these condiments once every year and keep and use them for many years. Fermented products based on fish and shellfish comprise the third category. These can be used as one of the ingredients in kimchi or eaten as they are. Although dozens of fermented foods are consumed in Korea, scientific research regarding their health effects is mainly concentrated on kimchi and doenjang, the two fermented food items consumed in largest quantities. Therefore, the focus in this chapter will be on these two food items.
