Soy and bean paste are one of our peculiar national foods which were created and have been developed by our people so far.
This is the most basic food for Korean people.
Every Korean experienced the taste of the soy and bean paste for the first time after the birth.
So the famous poet Ri Gyu Bo of koryo wrote in his book that “in summer the soy and bean post was important and in winter Kimchi was necessary” and the realist Hong Ma Son of Ri dynasty wrote in his book that “without good soy and bean paste, they can not make delicious side dishes….The head of family should pay attention to the making of good soy and bean paste”
According to the historical records, soy and bean paste was widely introduced into our dietary life as the important in the period of three countries.
It consisted of 3 kinds: bean paste, soy and hot pepper paste.
Bean paste was semi-solid and soy was liquid.
The hot pepper paste was the semi-solid one mixed with the powdered red pepper.
Our ancestors made balls of soy bean just before the opening of winter and made it at the end of the next lunar January or the beginning of Feburary.
Only when making it in this period, there was little change in quality during the aging and less salt was demanded and the taste was best.
So whenever the winter came, every family used to make balls of soybean and made soy and bean paste next spring.
Our people kept the snow in the shady places and used it in making soy and bean paste and kept the jar in the sunny places.
Our people made the charcoal fire in the jar and poured the honey over it and when the honey burnt, they put the balls of bean paste into it.
And when the soy and bean paste nearly fermented and the water was about to flow over, the people exchanged the water above the deposit with the new salt water every morning and evening. Then the paste completely fermented within 100 days and got black and delicious but less soy sauce was obtained.
To obtain more soy sauce, it was good to collect the soy sauce about 60 days after making it.
The quantity of soy sauce obtained per jar was a half of jar volume.
There is the following record regarding the hot pepper paste in “encyclopedia of Gyuhap”( 규합총서): boil two does of glutinous rice and make malt and add the powdered red pepper, dried beef powder, crushed jujube, and then a small bowl of honey and ferment it. Adjust the amount of salt according to the eating habits.”
Such soy and bean paste making method was spreaded to the neighboring countries.