Myeongin Gochujang
Tucked into the fermentation heartland of Sunchang, Myeongin Gochujang is a family business built on patience. Mr. Kim Taeyoung, who now runs the establishment with his mother, tells us it all started more than 30 years ago – and that legacy is still very much alive in every onggi (traditional clay vat) lined up across the courtyard.
When we visited, Mr. Kim and his assistant were carefully bottling soy sauce straight from one of the giant “onggi”, a Korean earthernware jar. He explained their simple, uncompromising philosophy: only domestically sourced soybeans, salt, and purified water go into their meju, which is left to ferment for over a year before it even becomes soy sauce. Even their “youngest” batch takes more than twelve months to bottle.
But the real surprise came when we learned their oldest soy sauce is a remarkable 30 years old – and we were humbled to be offered a taste.
This wasn’t like any soy sauce we’d had before. Thicker and faintly syrupy, almost like a distant cousin of molasses, it caught the morning light as it trickled slowly onto our tasting spoon. The first sip brought an immediate hit of saltiness – not sharp or harsh, but rich enough to coat the entire palate. That saltiness faded quickly, giving way to a deep, complex umami: savoury, almost meaty, with an earthy undertone. It finished soft and slightly sweet, somehow both bold and mellow at once – a perfect harmony of yin and yang.
We also tried a younger version for comparison, and while it’s difficult to put into words exactly how age transforms the flavour, there’s no mistaking that something happens over those decades – a quiet alchemy of seasons and time. Tasting the 30-year-old sauce felt less like sampling a condiment and more like witnessing three decades of a family’s devotion to their craft, distilled into a single spoonful.
If you’re passing through Sunchang, this is a stop worth making- not just to taste incredible soy sauce, but to understand the patience and care behind it.
About Sunchang Gochujang Village
Sunchang Gochujang Village is a traditional Korean settlement dedicated to the craft of making premium gochujang (fermented red chili paste). Located in Sunchang County – a region historically famous for its spicy paste since the Joseon Dynasty – the village features hundreds of artisan residents who use generations-old recipes and local, clean water for fermentation. When visiting, you will see streets lined with hundreds of large traditional clay pots (hang-a-ri) where the paste naturally ferments.
Geographically, Sunchang is located in the mountaineous region of the Honam Mountain Range, in the upper reaches of the Seomjin River in southern Jellabuk-do. It is said the natural environment of the natural water, soil, sunlight (12.4oC) and fermentation environment (72.8% humidity, 77 foggy days) is what produces Sunchang’s unique flavours.
The traditional method of making Sunchang gochujang involves preparing meju by mixing soybeans and non-glutinous rice in a 6:4 ratio around the end of the 8th lunar month (Cheoseo).