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Jang: The Soul of Korean Cooking
In the first book on the subject in English, South Korea’s best chef shows readers how to cook with jangs—the sauces that are the essential building blocks of all Korean cuisine. In the 60 home-cook-friendly dishes, he demystifies jangs while showing how they can be used to make both Korean and Western dishes more delicious.
Like butter in French cooking or olive oil in Italian, jangs are the soul of Korean cuisine. These umami sauces are found in every meal, from soups and stews, to salads, marinades, and even desserts, adding depth and complexity to every dish. The foundation of the three main jangs—gochujang, doenjang, or ganjang—is simple. Soybeans, water, and salt are dried, aged, and fermented in earthenware pots, extracting flavor from their environment and slowly blossoming into intensely flavored jangs. Few understand these ingredients better than chef Mingoo Kang, who has dedicated his Seoul restaurant to the exploration of jangs. In his first cookbook, Kang expertly weaves jangs’ history and methods into 60 accessible recipes to bring the sauces to life. Dishes like Fish Dumplings and Gang-Doenjang Bibimbap showcase the sauces’ traditional Korean roots, while Western-inspired recipes like Doenjang Crème Brulee and Ssamjang Cacio e Pepe reinvent favorite meals. Through artisan profiles, sidebars, and step-by-step photographs, Jang uncovers one the culinary world’s best-hidden secrets.
Like butter in French cooking or olive oil in Italian, jangs are the soul of Korean cuisine. These umami sauces are found in every meal, from soups and stews, to salads, marinades, and even desserts, adding depth and complexity to every dish. The foundation of the three main jangs—gochujang, doenjang, or ganjang—is simple. Soybeans, water, and salt are dried, aged, and fermented in earthenware pots, extracting flavor from their environment and slowly blossoming into intensely flavored jangs. Few understand these ingredients better than chef Mingoo Kang, who has dedicated his Seoul restaurant to the exploration of jangs. In his first cookbook, Kang expertly weaves jangs’ history and methods into 60 accessible recipes to bring the sauces to life. Dishes like Fish Dumplings and Gang-Doenjang Bibimbap showcase the sauces’ traditional Korean roots, while Western-inspired recipes like Doenjang Crème Brulee and Ssamjang Cacio e Pepe reinvent favorite meals. Through artisan profiles, sidebars, and step-by-step photographs, Jang uncovers one the culinary world’s best-hidden secrets.
216 pages, Hardcover
Published March 12, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 8, 2025
Great history and explanation of the jangs and cool highlighting of artisan makers. However, I was disappointed that there were not recipes for making your own Jang, which I expected and hoped. Recipes using the jangs seemed good and excited to try them.
November 6, 2024
This was an eye-opening exploration of the jang trio - ganjang, doenjang, and gochujang - that serve as the foundation of Korean cuisine. I enjoyed the deep dive into the history of jang production, with its focus on time and terroir. The book, which is organized by the types of jang, features both traditional dishes and more modern, Western-influenced recipes (like an almond doenjang croissant?!?!). Definitely looking forward to exploring the recipes and ideas in this cookbook!
March 6, 2025
I'm very much into Korean food and cooking, so I really enjoyed the deep dive into the Jang trio.
I have just started getting into using doenjang, but I have been a faithful user of gochujang since it first started getting popular in American stores and cuisine. I'm interested to explore more things and expand my recipes!
I have just started getting into using doenjang, but I have been a faithful user of gochujang since it first started getting popular in American stores and cuisine. I'm interested to explore more things and expand my recipes!
July 11, 2024
Solid 2.5, mostly for my own reference as there are not many things I will make. This may be a 4star for those who would be able to easily find the ingredients and would give the lovely recipes a go. The history and pictures and descriptions are fantastic though!
June 26, 2024
Haiku review:
Salty, spicy, rich
Double Michelin-starred chef
Feeds my heart and soul
Salty, spicy, rich
Double Michelin-starred chef
Feeds my heart and soul
December 7, 2025
Mingoo Kang’s Jang: The Soul of Korean Cooking is a "lets go back to the fundamental building blocks, then apply those to new fusion" type of approach for Korean cuisine. Gochujang, doenjang, and ganjang... it explores their history, production, and applications in both traditional and modern recipes. Kang frames these fermented sauces as the heart of Korean cooking, akin to butter in French cuisine or olive oil in Italian, and guides readers through their role in shaping flavor.
While the historical and technical insights into jang production are fascinating, they lean toward the academic, making some sections a bit dry. That said, learning about the depth and complexity of gochujang, a staple I regularly use, was particularly rewarding... I hadn’t previously considered its cultural significance or the nuances that distinguish different types of jang. The book succeeds in making these concepts approachable, but the recipes themselves, though thoughtfully constructed, were less compelling for me. They showcase the versatility of jang across a range of dishes (including some Western adaptations like Doenjang Crème Brûlée) but I found myself more engaged with the discussion of jang itself than with the recipes that followed.
The book is beautifully composed, with photography that captures the essence of the dishes, yet the images didn’t necessarily evoke hunger or a strong desire to cook they were a bit flat. For readers looking to deepen their knowledge of Korean cuisine, particularly its foundational flavors, Jang offers a rich and informative read. However, those primarily seeking a cookbook may find the recipes more inspiring in theory than in practice, especially depending on ingredient accessibility and personal cooking style. Ultimately, the book does excel as an exploration of Korean culinary traditions, even if its practicality as a go-to recipe resource may vary between readers.
While the historical and technical insights into jang production are fascinating, they lean toward the academic, making some sections a bit dry. That said, learning about the depth and complexity of gochujang, a staple I regularly use, was particularly rewarding... I hadn’t previously considered its cultural significance or the nuances that distinguish different types of jang. The book succeeds in making these concepts approachable, but the recipes themselves, though thoughtfully constructed, were less compelling for me. They showcase the versatility of jang across a range of dishes (including some Western adaptations like Doenjang Crème Brûlée) but I found myself more engaged with the discussion of jang itself than with the recipes that followed.
The book is beautifully composed, with photography that captures the essence of the dishes, yet the images didn’t necessarily evoke hunger or a strong desire to cook they were a bit flat. For readers looking to deepen their knowledge of Korean cuisine, particularly its foundational flavors, Jang offers a rich and informative read. However, those primarily seeking a cookbook may find the recipes more inspiring in theory than in practice, especially depending on ingredient accessibility and personal cooking style. Ultimately, the book does excel as an exploration of Korean culinary traditions, even if its practicality as a go-to recipe resource may vary between readers.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews