In Korea,soybean is processed into various kinds of traditional fermented foods including doenjang(soybean paste),cheonggukjang,and gochujang.Soybean components are converted to easily digestible or absorbable forms during fermentation by Bacillus sp.,Aspergillus sp.,and other microbes.Isoflavones abundantly present in soybean and soy products have been reported to have health benefits such as the prevention of postmenopausal complications,breast and prostate cancers,and heart disease.