One level tablespoon (15 ml) of Doenjang weighs about 18 g. A teaspoon is around 6 g, a 200 ml cup around 250 g, and an everyday Korean rice spoon holds roughly 13.2 g level.
Salt levels differ enormously between doenjang products โ traditional pastes are often much saltier than commercial ones, so the same tablespoon changes a stew completely. With an unfamiliar jar, start at two-thirds and adjust at the end.
Pack it in and level, the same as gochujang.
Conversion table
| Unit | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 tbsp (15 ml) | 18 g |
| 1 tsp (5 ml) | 6 g |
| 1 cup (200 ml) | 250 g |
| 1 paper cup (180 ml) | 225 g |
| 1 Korean rice spoon | 13.2 g |
Measuring with a rice spoon or paper cup
A recipe tablespoon is 15 ml and a Korean recipe cup is 200 ml, but the spoon in your cutlery drawer holds about 11 ml level and a paper cup holds 180 ml. Measuring with everyday utensils therefore puts in roughly a quarter less than the recipe intends.
Heaping the spoon brings it close to a proper tablespoon. For salt, baking powder and anything else where a small error changes the outcome, use measuring spoons or a scale instead.