What is "ganjang"

Ganjang is a kind of Korean soy sauce made from fermented soybeans. Ganjang is a uniquely Korean condiment.

Traditionally, Koreans start processing soybeans around the 10th month of the lunar calendar. They soak soybeans overnight and then boil them. They then pound the soybeans into a powder and compress that into a meju, a block about , which is then dried for about one week. The mejus are then tied with straw in front of homeyard for about 40 days. After the mejus have dried, they put them into crockery in which they start to ferment. In the crock, salt water is mixed in. As they ferment, a dark liquid separates out. The liquid is called ganjang (soy sauce or soya sauce). The remaining material is called doenjang (soybean paste or bean paste).