Among these is cheonggukjang, a thick soybean paste made by fermenting steamed soybeans with rice straw, naturally rich in Bacillus subtilis, a probiotic essential to many fermented foods.

This hearty soup-stew uses Korean fermented soybean paste, doenjang, which is pungent and strongly flavoured. In restaurants, doenjang jjigae usually incorporates a small amount of meat and/or ...