Dwaen-jahng-jji-gae is a hearty soup at our Bellevue Korean restaurant that features traditional Korean soybean paste. This paste is called dwaen-jahng, alternatively “doenjang”, and is very much like the Japanese miso. An experienced foodie would notice a few differences between the two; doenjang is generally thicker and richer than miso, for example, featuring actual chunks of the soybeans mixed into the paste. The two are the same where it counts, however, in that they both share the same amazing health benefits of fermented soy products.

Though soy products have been under fire as of late, it’s become more and more clear that the real champion of your health is fermented soy. While unfermented soy is difficult for the body to digest, the fermentation process breaks up protein enzyme inhibitors and complex sugars and makes the soy’s valuable nutrients more available to the body. The health benefits of such foods are many, including the inhibition of certain cancers, the reduction of inflammation, increased bone strength, improved metabolic performance, and general heart health.

If you’d like to reap the many benefits of fermented soy, order up a bowl of doenjang soup at Seoul Hot Pot! You’d be hard pressed to find a more delicious way to do your body a favor.