“Oh? Doenjang from Gangwon Province has a noticeably different color.”

A study that began with a single undergraduate student's curiosity attracted attention after receiving the Best Poster Presentation Award at a food-related academic conference. It is unusual for an undergraduate to receive an award that is typically given to graduate students in master's and doctoral programs.

The awardee is Hyejin Cho, a fourth-year student in the Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. She presented a research paper titled "Physicochemical Quality Characteristics of Traditional Doenjang Produced in the Gangwon Region" at the recent International Conference of the Korean Society of Food Science and Technology.

During a trip to Gangwon Province several years ago, Cho encountered traditional Gangwon-region doenjang and noticed its color and flavor differed from regular doenjang. This observation sparked the present study. She consulted Professor Kim Mina Kyungmin of the same department and conducted the research under her supervision.

This research was conducted as part of the "Study on Regional Flavor Characteristics of Traditional Doenjang Using Sensory Science and Flavor Chemistry Techniques," carried out by the JBNU Sensory Science Laboratory with support from the National Research Foundation of Korea.

Cho investigated the physicochemical properties of the traditional Gangwon-do doenjang she encountered, specifically those fermented without the jang-gareugi process.

Her work was highly regarded by the conference for objectively profiling the flavors of traditional doenjang produced in each region using traditional methods and for aiming to identify characteristic aromas representative of each locality.

Cho said, "I began this research out of curiosity about traditional doenjang fermented in Gangwon Province, and conducting the study gave me an opportunity to learn more about traditional doenjang. Although it was difficult to balance coursework and research as an undergraduate, I am pleased that our efforts have borne fruit, and I would like to share this joy with Professor Kim Mina Kyungmin and the senior and junior members of the Sensory Science Laboratory who supported the research."