[5] In the Joseon period, the royals had five meals (called sura), and in three of those they had doenjang-guk as a side dish (banchan 반찬), specifically in a small table on the right side of the main table, together with other various Korean traditional foods such as vegetables (chaeso 채소), meat (kogi 고기), egg, and sesame-seed oil (chamgireum 참기름).

The broth has a deep, comforting flavor, the cabbage adds texture and sweetness and it is light since there is no grease.

The ingredients are dried anchovies; napa cabbage leaves, white-stemmed chard, or bok choy; doenjang; garlic; chili peppers; all-purpose flour or rice water; and fish sauce.

[7] To make the broth for a doenjang-based soup or stew, it is common to begin with the water used to wash rice, ssalddeumul (쌀뜨물).

This rice water adds starch to the soup and works as a binding agent between the soybean paste and the broth, while improving the flavor of the doenjang.