Cheonggukjang ferments in two to three days. That speed is unusual. Most Korean fermented soybean products ? doenjang, ganjang, gochujang ? take months. Cheonggukjang takes less than a week because it relies on a single, aggressive bacterium: Bacillus subtilis. This organism produces powerful proteases that break down soy proteins rapidly, generating free amino acids, ammonia,…
Alcoholic fermentation is the process by which yeasts convert sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide. It is the foundation of every alcoholic beverage humans have ever made — beer, wine, cider, sake, and Korean makgeolli. But makgeolli is not just another example of alcoholic fermentation. It demonstrates a version of the process that is more…
Fermentation is one of those words that people use confidently without being entirely sure what it means. You might say kimchi is fermented, or that beer goes through fermentation, or that sourdough relies on fermentation — and you would be right every time. But what is actually happening inside that jar, that barrel, or that…