What is Gochujang, The Little Red Tub We Keep in Arm's Reach? (2024)

FAQs

What is gochujang explained? ›

Gochujang (Korean: 고추장; Korean pronunciation: [kotɕʰudʑɑŋ]) or red chili paste is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from gochu-garu (chili powder), glutinous rice, meju (fermented soybean) powder, yeotgireum (barley malt powder), and salt.

Gochujang has a long shelf life due to its fermentation process. Unopened gochujang can last for two years when stored in a cool, dark place like a pantry. Once opened, it should be stored in the refrigerator and can typically last for a year.

We've got you covered. What is it? Gochujang, a fundamental ingredient in Korean cooking, is a thick and spicy-sweet crimson paste made from red chile pepper flakes, glutinous rice (also known as sticky rice), fermented soybeans, and salt.

Gochujang (고추장) is Korean fermented chili pepper paste. Along with ganjang (간장, soy sauce) and doenjang (된장, fermented soybean paste), it's one of the three fundamental fermented sauce or paste, collectively called jang (장). The red thick paste is deeply savory, peppery, salty, spicy and slightly sweet!

Is it good for your health? Fermented foods are naturally rich in probiotics that are beneficial for digestive health and helps in boosting metabolic rate, which helps in effective weight loss. Fermented soybeans in Gochujang makes it a great source of probiotics that can boost healthy gut microbiomes.

It's safe to eat gochujang paste raw, but I don't recommend it. The flavor is very strong and is best when combined with other ingredients to make a pourable sauce.

Once opened, a lot of people recommend keeping the sauce and the paste in the fridge to help them retain freshness. However, this may not be strictly necessary, as a fair number of people posit that gochujang sauce can remain shelf stable for a long time, though it may change in color.

Try it as a baste on chicken wings or pork ribs, or added to soup broths like in my Spicy Pork Miso Noodle Soup. Gochujang can also be used in marinades for meat dishes like Korean bulgogi, stirred into dipping sauces, or used to punch up stews.

Although it is rarely, if ever, used as a finishing sauce, gochujang can be used straight from the tub. In fact, many Koreans will eat it as is as an accompaniment to raw vegetables (like crudité) and dried anchovies.

Meet gochujang, the savory Korean sauce that, like sriracha, is made from fermented red peppers, but has a more savory, salty, deep flavor. “It's like hot sauce-meets-umami flavor,” chef Edward Lee, owner of 610 Magnolia & Milkwood in Louisville, Kentucky, told ABC News.

What is a good substitute for gochujang? ›

The most authentic gochujang replacement combines miso paste and sriracha with a little pinch of sugar. If you try to just swap in another Asian sauce like sriracha or sambal oelek as a 1:1 gochujang substitute, your dish will be spicier and more acidic than intended. Hot sauces contain vinegar, and gochujang does not.

Gochujang flavor is different from Sriracha, Sambal, or any other global red chili powder-based sauces. It is unique and has its own distinct flavor. It can sure be spicy depending on the brand; it is also slightly sweet, a little salty, and has some rich meaty flavor from the fermented soybeans.

In addition to these nutrients, the chili in gochujang is rich in three main bioactive compounds. These are carotenoids, capsaicinoids, and flavonoids, all of which are excellent antioxidants. They slow down or prevent damage caused by substances that your body makes to respond to environmental and other pressures.

With “deeply umami savoriness” and “complex flavor, spicy, nicely seasoned,” this popular supermarket gochujang, made without soy, had “notes of plum, apples, and Asian pears,” along with a “fish sauce note of funk” or an “oyster sauce-y vibe” that tasters found “enjoyable.” “Very, very savory. So much umami depth.

While typically boasting a long shelf life, it is understandable that consumers may be concerned about using expired gochujang. Fortunately, due to its ingredients and fermentation process, gochujang can remain safe to use even after its best before date, provided it has been stored correctly.

It's like sriracha but has a deeper flavor profile with less vinegar and more sweetness. Gochujang is also less spicy than sriracha, so if you like sweet-spicy combinations then gochujang will be the perfect addition to your kitchen pantry.

While they share some similarities, gochujang and Thai red chili paste have distinct flavors. Gochujang is thicker, fermented, and has a richer taste, while Thai red chili paste tends to be thinner and focuses on the heat. Substituting one for the other may alter the flavor profile of the dish.

What does gochujang taste like? It's a bit spicy, a bit funky, salty and all kinds of savoury. Gochujang traditionally also gets its gentle sweetness from its fermentation process, which takes place over several years (all good things to those who wait and all that).