Sauces, pastes & condiments · Soy & fermented sauces
Chunjang (Korean black bean paste)
Korean black bean paste of roasted fermented soybeans and wheat; fried in oil for jjajangmyeon noodles.
Also called: korean black bean paste, black bean sauce (korean), jjajang paste, choonjang
Around the world: 춘장, chunjang (ko)
What it is
A thick, almost black Korean paste of fermented soybeans and wheat flour with caramel, used for the Korean-Chinese noodle dish jjajangmyeon. Unlike Chinese fermented black beans (salted whole beans), it is smooth and slightly sweet. Some jars are pre-roasted; others need frying in oil before use.
How it’s used
- Jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles)
- Jjajangbap (over rice)
- Stir-fried pork and vegetables in black bean sauce
- Tteokbokki variations
Characteristics
- Taste
- Earthy, salty and slightly bitter-sweet; mellows when fried.
- Texture
- Very thick paste.
- Appearance
- Glossy black.
- When cooked
- Fry in oil over medium heat before adding other ingredients to remove bitterness.
- Sold as
- paste, fermented
- Cooking uses
- Mainly a seasoning, Commonly cooked, Suitable for frying
- Common in
- Korean
Storage
Refrigerated. Refrigerate after opening; keeps for months.
Diet, allergens and safety
Contains Soy, Wheat, Gluten.
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
- Soy-free
- Caffeine-free
- Contains soy and wheat (gluten).
Nutrition per 100 g
- Energy
- 198 kcal
- Protein
- 12.79 g
- Carbohydrate
- 25.37 g
- Fat
- 6.01 g
- Fibre
- 5.4 g
- Sugars
- 6.2 g
USDA FoodData Central: Miso (a close stand-in).
Substitutes
Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.
- Sweet bean sauce (tianmianjiang) — Add a little dark soy for colour.
Related ingredients
Recipes with chunjang (korean black bean paste)
Jjajangmyeon (Korean black bean noodles)
Korean · 40 min · 807 kcal
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