[3] The Records of the Three Kingdoms, a Chinese historical text written and published in the third century AD, mentions that "Goguryeo people are good at brewing fermented soybeans" in the section named Dongyi (Eastern foreigners) in the Book of Wei.

[6] In Samguk Sagi, a historical record of the Three Kingdoms era, it is written that doenjang and ganjang, along with meju and jeotgal, were prepared for the wedding ceremony of King Sinmun in February 683.

[7] Sikhwaji, a section from Goryeosa (History of Goryeo), recorded that doenjang and ganjang were included in the relief supplies in 1018, after a Khitan invasion, and in 1052, when a famine occurred.

Soybeans are soaked overnight, boiled in salt water, and then pounded in a mortar (jeolgu) or coarsely ground in a millstone.

This combination of leaf vegetable and doenjang (or ssamjang) often complements popular Korean meat dishes such as samgyeopsal, bulgogi, bibimbap and bossam.

It can also be used as a component of soup broth, as in the popular stew doenjang jjigae, which usually includes tofu, various vegetables such as chile peppers, zucchini, and scallion, and (optionally) mushrooms, red meat, or scallops.

Doenjang is rich in flavonoids and beneficial vitamins, minerals, and plant hormones (phytoestrogens) which are sometimes claimed to possess anticarcinogenic properties.

The health benefits of doenjang are rumored to extend longevity, and this is illustrated by the fact that out of the 32,000 people in Sunchang County, eight are over 100 years old, and many are over 90.

[15] "Doenjang girl" is a slang term for women who indulge in luxurious products to show off despite not being able to afford them, and eat low-priced basic food at home.