Meju (fermented soybeans mash) is the key component in multiple commonly used Korean seasonings, including doenjang, gochujang, and soy sauce. It was commonly made in middle class households as a primary flavor enhancer.
However, Daily NK has learned that as of late, many people cannot afford meju‘s primary ingredient, soybeans. Because of this, families are giving up on the tradition and the number of households making meju is on the decline.
On Tuesday, a Daily NK source in North Hamgyong Province, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said that “every year from late December early January, families would rush around steaming soybeans to make meju, and smoke would billow out of their chimneys all day long. Recently, however, these kinds of households are few and far between. This fall, only around three to four households in each neighborhood watch unit are making meju.”
In one neighborhood watch unit in the city of Hoeryong, only two households out of a total of 25 houses are making meju this year.
One of the reasons that meju making is so common in North Korea is the belief that pink mold growing on meju blocks can indicate a family’s fortune for the year. However, Daily NK’s source reported that the number of families making meju this year “can be counted on one hand.”
Over the last two months there has been a nearly 70% increase in the price of soybeans, going up from KPW 4,000 last October to KPW 6,700 as of the end of December, the source said.
“With soybeans being more expensive than rice, families are struggling financially and can barely eat three proper meals a day, let alone think about making meju this year. In the past, many households ate mugunjang, a byproduct of the meju-making process, to fill out their meals in place of banchan [side dishes]. These same households are now wondering how they will make it through next winter without mugunjang [to supplement their diets].”
However, households who can afford the luxury of making meju are currently doing all they can to make the flavor enhancer.
The North Korean meju-making process begins by soaking the soybeans in water for a day, then boiling and mashing the beans with a mortar and pestle. The mash is then compacted with a wooden noodle press three to four times, after which it is shaped into a ball to begin fermentation.
The fermenting meju is then aired out on top of a clean cloth placed in the warmest part of the house. However, the fermentation process tends to fill the house with a strong unpleasant odor, so some families pay relatives or friends to do it in their stead.
“Due to the strong odor, families with a bit of money often buy the ingredients and pay someone else to take over the meju-making process. Unpleasant as the smell may be, many struggling households are eager to take over the meju process. The fermentation process requires a well-heated house, so households entrusted to make meju for wealthier families can at least look forward to a warmer winter [on the other family’s dime].”
Translated by Matthew Eteuati, Jr. Edited by Rose Adams and Robert Lauler.
Daily NK works with a network of sources who live inside North Korea, China and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK’s reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.
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