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Gochujang | Local Chili Paste From South Korea, East Asia | TasteAtlas
Gochujang | Local Chili Paste From South Korea, East Asia | TasteAtlas
Gochujang | Local Chili Paste From South Korea, East Asia | TasteAtlas
Gochujang | Local Chili Paste From South Korea, East Asia | TasteAtlas
Gochujang | Local Chili Paste From South Korea, East Asia | TasteAtlas

Gochujang

One of the essential ingredients in South Korean cuisine is a spicy, thick, and concentrated gochujang paste. In its basic form, it is made with a combination of gochugaru (fine chili powder made from a specific type of gochu chili pepper), meju (fermented soybean powder), salt, and glutinous rice.


The combination of these fine powders is then left to ferment for several months, or even longer. Because of its popularity, many regional varieties appear throughout the country. Gochujang was first mentioned in writing in 1614, but it is believed that it existed prior to that.


The paste is used either as a condiment or a cooking ingredient in soups, stews, sauces, and marinades. The most popular dishes made with it include kimchi, budae-jjigae, bibimbap, tteokbokki, and many other. Traditionally, like other jang dishes, this spicy chili paste is fermented in onggi vessels—a type of earthenware that lets air inside and it that way allows fermentation.