Pyongyang, November 15 (KCNA) -- From ancient times, the Korean people have used beans in preparing essential foodstuffs like soy sauce, bean paste and peppered bean paste.

The foodstuffs are diverse in raw materials and preparing methods but their main raw material is bean.

The Korean nation began cultivating beans in the late period of the primitive ages to feed cattle, horse and other domestic animals. They found that animals liked to eat boiled beans covered with mold. So they began making bean paste after fermenting boiled beans.

Each household had its own method of preparing soy sauce and bean paste.

With red pepper being cultivated in the period of Ri Dynasty they began making peppered bean paste mixed with glutinous rice, meat and other things.

Soy sauce, bean paste and peppered bean paste are indispensable foodstuffs for Koreans.