Meju is a brick of dried fermented soybeans. While not consumed on its own, it serves as the basis of several Korean condiments, such as doenjang, ganjang, and gochujang. Meju is produced by pounding, kneading, and shaping cooked soybeans, and undergoes fermentation with Aspergillus oryzae and/or Bacillus subtilis.
Etymology
The word meju is derived from Middle Koreanmyejo, which is itself derived from myeoju, as recorded in the 1527 book, Collection of Characters for Training the Unenlightened. Earlier forms transcribed using hanja include miljeo as recorded in Things on Korea, a 12th-century book on Korea written by a Song scholar.
History
The custom of fermenting soybeans is assumed to have begun prior to the era of the Three Kingdoms. The Records of the Three Kingdoms, a Chinese historical text written and published in the 3rd century, mentions that "Goguryeo people are good at brewing fermented soy beans." in the section titled Eastern foreigners, in the Book of Wei. Jangdoks used for soy sauce brewing are found in the mural paintings of Anak Tomb No.3 from the 4th centuryGoguryeo. In Historical Record of the Three Kingdoms, meju was reported to be one of the wedding presents offered by King Sinmun in February 683. According to History of Korea, citing the New Book of Tang, meju was also a local specialty of Balhae's Chaekseong region. The Treatise on Food and Money, a section from the History of Goryeo, recorded that ganjang and doenjang were included in the relief supplies in 1018, after a Khitan invasion, and in 1052, when a famine occurred. Joseon texts such as Concise Reference for Famine Relief and Revised and Augmented Farm Management contain the detailed procedures on how to make meju for good quality ganjang and doenjang.
Preparation
Meju is usually made between October and December, typically around ipdong in early November. However, the specific time and the process followed when making meju varies across regions, and depends on which food it will be used to make. Meju for Korean royal court cuisine was made around the fourth month of the lunar calendar, while meju made for home cooking was made around the tenth or twelfth month of the lunar calendar. In Sunchang, meju for gochujang was made around August and September. Traditionally, meju for ganjang and doenjang are made entirely of fermented soybeans, while meju for gochujang are made using soybeans mixed with rice, barley, or wheat. If wheat is used, the ratio between soybeans and wheat is 6:4; if glutinous rice is used, the ratio between soybeans and glutinous rice is 5:2. Soybeans are washed, soaked overnight, and cooked. They are usually boiled in a gamasot, but can also be steamed in a siru, for at least three to four hours and usually five to eight hours. Cooked beans are drained in a sokuri and pounded in a jeolgu while still hot. About of pounded soybeans are chunked, compressed, and shaped into a cube or a sphere to form meju. The meju bricks are then dried in a cool shaded area until firm. When the bricks harden, they are tied with rice straws to the eavesof the house for air-drying, during which the rice stalks transfer Bacillus subtilisbacteria to meju bricks. Fungi and bacteria, mainly Aspergillus oryzae and Bacillus subtilis, are responsible for the fermentation of meju. Well fermented meju bricks are washed and sun-dried for later use.
