Hongju Fermented Foods in Hongseong Wins Grand Prize at Chambalhyo Awards 2025

Traditional Paste Category

CEO Kyungja Lee receiving the grand prize

Hongseong County in Chungnam announced that Hongju Fermented Foods, located in Geumma-myeon, recently won the Grand Prize at the "Chambalhyo Awards 2025," the only fermented food evaluation event in Korea, hosted by Naeil Table and sponsored by Korea Rural Community Corporation.

The products from Hongju Fermented Foods that received the Grand Prize in the traditional paste category are three items: Doenjang (Hongju Jwinunikong Doenjang), Cheonggukjang (Hongju Hwangtobang Cheonggukjang), and Jangajji (Hongju Cheong Chamoe Jangajji).

Hongju Fermented Foods was selected as the final winner after a "citizen taste evaluation" by a panel of 212 citizens to select the finalists, followed by a fair blind evaluation and on-site inspection by a panel of 28 expert judges.

One of the Grand Prize-winning items at the "Chambalhyo Awards 2025," the "Hongju Hwangtobang Cheonggukjang," is a traditionally certified product made using soybeans contract-grown in Hongseong, the nation's first low-carbon organic farming district.

Jang Ijin, head of the Agricultural Policy Division of Hongseong County, stated, "It is important to preserve and promote healthy traditional foods made from the excellent agricultural products of Hongseong County, which has been designated as the nation's first low-carbon organic farming district," and added, "We will continue to make active efforts for the development of traditional fermented foods that offer outstanding taste."

Various products from Hongju Fermented Foods, including the Hongju Hwangtobang Cheonggukjang, can be purchased at e-Hongseong Market, the agricultural and specialty product direct transaction e-commerce platform operated by Hongseong County.

Founded in 2016, Hongju Fermented Foods is a traditional food manufacturing company specializing in restoring and producing pastes from old books that were on the verge of being forgotten, and was also honored with the Grand Prize at the 2024 Chambalhyo Awards for its "Pat Gochujang."