ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS – LIQUID

Soy sauce (Ganjang: 간장) 

There are a few different kinds of soy sauce available in Korea. Each of those have a different name based on the ingredients used and/or the method of brewing. I will cover that in more detail in a separate post some other time as it can be lengthy.

For my day to day cooking needs (e.g. stir fry, braising etc), I use 100% naturally brewed soy sauce – Kikoman brand. If you’re looking to buy a Korean brand of this kind, Yangjo Ganjang (양조간장) is the name you should be looking for. For soup and stew, I use soy sauce that’s made for soup. It’s saltier than other kinds of soy sauce but the color is lighter. It can be also be used as an alternative to salt and it adds deeper umami.

Rice wine/cooking wine (Mirim: 미림) 

I use rice wine particularly when marinating meat for a BBQ. It gets rid of the meat smell and it’s also known to add a slightly sweet note to the main dish. Japanese Mirin (미린) does the same job.

Korean fish sauce (Aecjeot: 액젓) 

Korean fish sauce is typically used in varieties of Kimchi to accelerate the fermentation process. In some occasions, it is also used in Korean side dishes and soup/stew. There are two main varieties of Korean fish sauce – anchovy sauce (Mulchi Aecjeot) and sand lance sauce (Kkanari Aecjeot). I’ve only used anchovy sauce so far. Some people also commented on this post that it cannot be substituted with Thai/Vietnamese fish sauce.

Korean malt syrup/rice syrup/corn syrup (Mulyeot: 물엿) 

These are a liquid form of sweetener. Koreans use it a lot to give food a sweet flavor but also to give a shiny look. I used to use it a lot when I was living in Korea, but I don’t use it anymore as I think it’s not a healthy ingredient. If I want to give a sweet flavor and shiny look, I use honey or 100% pure maple syrup depending on the recipe instead.

Sesame oil (Chamgireum: 참기름) 

Sesame oil is widely used in many Korean side dishes, rice dishes, Korean BBQ and in dipping sauce as a finishing touch ingredient.  It adds a nutty aroma and savoury flavor. I typically use Korean brand sesame oil but I know some people swear by Kadoya brand.

Perilla oil (Dulgireum: 들기름) 

Perilla oil is made from perilla seeds (by cold-pressing) and it is also used in some Korean vegetable side dishes. Perilla oil is known for its highly nutritious ingredients but it has a lot shorter shelf life (under 6 months) than sesame oil (6 months to 2 years).