Fermented Soybean Mold

Mejuteul, also called mejumal, is a mold used to shape meju, or fermented soybean paste, into a block. The fermented soybean block is sometimes made by hand, but mostly by using the mold to shape the blocks into an identical size and shape. The mold is generally made with interlocked rectangular wooden plates and then fixed with nails. Some are equipped with a wooden latch to allow it to be disassembled as necessary. There are also round molds that resemble molds used for malt, which are made by densely winding a thin straw rope many times around the inside and outside of the treadwheel to make the molds strong enough not to break. Fermented soybean blocks are made by boiling and mashing soybeans until soft, and stuffing the mashed beans into the mold. They are usually made in late fall by drying them for two or three days and then storing them in a straw-lined box in a warm room to prevent them from sticking to each other. After the surface of the blocks grows mold, the blocks are hung in rooms or around the house during the winter. After the winter, the blocks are taken out, dried in the sun, and then mixed in salty water to make soybean paste.