Jang: The Soul of Korean Cooking (More than 60 Recipes Featuring Gochujang, Doenjang, and Ganjang)

Mingoo Kang, whose Hong Kong restaurant has a Michelin Star, presents three sauces (jangs) as the essential building blocks of Korean cuisine. 

Gochujang, doenjang, and ganjang all begin with fermenting soybeans. “As with charcuteries, cheese, or wine, the character of jang is determined by time and place, and, of course, great human skill,” Kang writes. They make Korean cooking “one of the most intriguing and dynamic of the world’s culinary traditions. (I am biased, but also correct.)”

The book is divided into chapters on each sort of jang. (These jangs are traditionally produced by artisans or commercial enterprises; making them is not within the scope of this book.)  They are often combined in differing proportions, and Kang suggests creating a small pantry arsenal of blends to simplify cooking, since the sauces keep for long periods of time. (These jangs are traditionally produced by artisans or commercial enterprises; making them is not within the scope of this book.)

Soon you will be preserving vegetables in ganjang, dressing black noodles in an oniony doenjang, and enlivening chicken stew with gochujang. If you want to step beyond tradition dishes, Kang offers own creations, designed to showcase how versatile jangs can be in things like a ganjang granola, cacio e pepe enriched with ssamjang (a combination of of gochujang and doenjang), and a gochujang chocolate mousse.

Intriguing and detailed.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.