ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS – PASTE

Korean chili paste/Hot pepper paste (Gochujang: 고추장) 


Does it need further explanation?  Gochujang is probably the most famous Korean condiment. It goes in side dishes, soup & stew, main dishes, marinade etc. It is made from fine Korean chili powder, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans and salt. While it’s spicy, it also has a very subtle sweet note.

Nowadays, there are various versions of gochujang (ie. extra spicy gochujang, less spicy gochujang and beef seasoned gochujang etc), however my recipes are based on the standard version of gochujang.

Soybean paste (Doenjang: 된장) 


Korean soybean paste is often compared with Japanese miso paste. It is made with fermented soybeans over a period of time. It has natural pungent smell and flavor. It is mainly used in soup & stew but it can also be used as a sauce when making side dishes.

As with gochujang, there are various versions of soybean paste available (e.g. soybean paste mixed with seafood extract) however my recipes are based on the standard version of soybean paste.

Korean spicy dipping sauce (Ssamjang: 쌈장) 


Korean spicy dipping sauce is most commonly accompanied with grilled Korean BBQ. It can be easily made at home using soybean paste, chili paste, garlic, onion, sesame oil etc. As with chili paste (Gochujang) and soybean paste (Doenjang), there are various versions of spicy dipping sauce available. 

Korean black bean paste sauce (Chunjang: 춘장) 


Korean black bean paste sauce is mainly used when making Jajangmyeon or Jajangbap. While there are powder versions available, I prefer using the paste version as it’s tastier and has deeper umami.

In most cases, this black bean paste sauce needs further cooking before it can be used as it has a bitter taste on its own. If you follow my Jajangmyeon recipe, the instruction is included there.

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