Gochujang

The Korean staple that's about to become a mainstay in your kitchen

The beautiful illustrations in today’s issue are by my friend Katya @honestlygreen

Hey hey friends, 

This newsletter was supposed to land in your inboxes in January, to say life went off course is an understatement. But better late than never, right? 

On a side note; I think it’s safe to agree that many of us are really tired of Instagram’s impossible algorithms, and so many of us avoid the black hole of TikTok for various reasons. If you’re enjoying both, then hats off to you! It’s through Appetite that I’ve created great connections and honed new friendships, it’s slow-paced, and there are no algorithms involved. You either subscribe or you don’t. So if you’re still here and subscribed, thank you!

I want to make Appetite as regular as possible so if there’s something that needs using up in your cupboards, get in touch and I’ll do my best to put together an issue. I guess what I’m saying is that I love writing Appetite and thanks for sticking with it, and with me.

Anyway, back to it and the reason we’re here; Gochujang. Gochujang is a little bit different to my usual deep dive, not exactly a non-perishable ingredient once it’s open, but a long-life item due to its production process - fermentation. 

ABOUT GOCHUJANG

Gochujang Paste (Credit: sungsu han/Alamy)

What is Gochujang? A spicy paste used in Korean cooking, made from red chilli peppers, fermented soybeans, glutinous rice, and salt.

What does it taste like? It's a bit spicy, a bit funky, salty and deeply savoury. You can also expect a bit of sweetness from the fermented sugars. 

Can it be substituted? Not quite. The Gochujang flavour is very unique, the closest alternative would be a mix of miso paste and sriracha but it still wouldn’t provide the rich depth of flavour. 

History of the ingredient 

Gochujang is a popular Korean staple - you probably have noticed the emergence of Gochujang burgers, Gochujang-style condiments and its addition to many mainstream menus. It’s one of 3 popular jangs - gochujang, doenjang and ssamjang. 

Hot peppers (gochu) didn’t arrive in East Asia until the early 16th century via Portuguese traders, who imported peppers from the Americas. Before then, pepper paste made its first appearance in the 9th century, most likely made with black peppercorn and other types of peppercorns native to Korea and Japan. 

Chilli pepper farm in Gangwon-do ( credit Modern Seoul)

Two centuries later, gochujang became a firm spice staple for most Koreans (however, it was a luxury and not everyone could afford it). Suchang County became the most popular province for producing the paste and to this day, they host the annual Sunchang Fermented Food Festival  (usually held in October) where different types of ‘jang’ are celebrated. So if you fancy a trip to the Gochujang Village, start planning now. 

The traditional way of making gochujang is by mixing the ingredients and storing them in an earthenware pot that’s kept outdoors. During the fermentation process, starches in the glutinous rice are converted to sugars (giving gochujang that sweet note). The chilli peppers give the paste a good amount of heat and soybeans provide the umami flavour. 

Fermentation clay pots called onggi (Credit: Michele Burgess/Alamy)

In the past, gochujang was produced only once a year - in the Spring. But thanks to globalisation and technological advancements, it’s now produced in factories daily to meet the ever-growing demand. In the same way as many Brits pack their trusted tea bags when they travel abroad, Koreans pack gochujang when they leave home. When gochujang was first introduced to Western markets, it came in a squeezy bottle, often mixed in with familiar condiments like mayonnaise. In 2021, the volume of red pepper paste exported from South Korea reached nearly 23 thousand tons, a dramatic increase from the previous year. My bet is that when we were all stuck indoors, we got sharing, learning and cooking.

From the very beginning gochujang was used to help with digestive issues and seen as a medicinal aid. Nowadays we all know about how good fermented goods are for our guts. Korean jangs are associated with a range of benefits - lowering cholesterol and fighting cancer are a few to name.

Used on its own, the flavour of gochujang can be a little bit too intense so it’s frequently mixed with sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger and soy sauce.

QUICK SUGGESTIONS FOR USE:

If you have a tub of gochujang in your fridge, you’ll never have a boring meal. Get yourself a protein, some veg and carb and you will feast like a Royal. While the paste is a popular addition in many traditional Korean dishes (and I encourage you to try them and explore Korean cuisine), you can easily add Gochujang to your favourite kitchen staples and change up the flavour profile. I love making “Rigatoni a la Vodka” and subbing tomato paste for gochujang. 

Savoury

• I, of course, am including traditional uses for this beautiful condiment -  Kimchi Jiggae, is a must try  

• Give Korean BBQ a go. It’s a sure fire way to impress friends. This article really breaks down everything you need for a great evening

• Recreate Bibimbap at home, using this recipe from Maangchi

• Budae-jjigae aka Army Stew - spam, gochujang, kimchi, plastic cheese. What’s not to love?

• Yangnyeom Tongdak aka Sweet, Sour and Spicy Korean Fried Chicken

• First time I tried Tteokbokki, I was blown away (the chewy spicy rice cakes are very addictive!). I hope you love this dish as much as I do

• Level up your condiment game by mixing gochujang with mayonnaise, ketchup or yoghurt

• Use it as a marinade, even a quick 10-minute bath will tenderise your protein and elevate your dish 

• As already mentioned, if a dish calls for tomato paste or pepper paste, sub it for gochujang and see how the ingredients sing

• Making compound butter at home? Why not stir in some gochujang, adding an extra layer of flavour to your sandwiches 

• Eggs. Do you like eggs? Because I love eggs and a drop of gochujang into sizzling oil or butter, followed by a cracked egg might become your new favourite WFH lunch, breakfast or dinner. 

• Making savoury pancakes? Melt some gochujang into your batter, you’ll get gorgeous colour, you’ll get a new flavour, you’ll love it

• Cheese sauces, need I say more? Spice up your famous Mac’n’Cheese, swipe through your toasties and keep adding it to everything cheesy. The heat will cut through the fat beautifully

• Kimchi Udon with Spring Onions - I made a variation of this dish SO MANY times. It’s a comforting flavour bomb 

• Crunchy Gochujang Fennel, and many other crunchy vegetables can receive similar treatment

Sweet 

You might think that gochujang doesn’t belong in desserts, but a quick Google search tells me otherwise. People LOVE adding gochujang to their caramels, and other sweet things. 

• Make a batch of this Spicy Gochujang Caramel and add it to your bakes

• You can’t beat a cookie, and NYT has a great recipe 

• Spice up your movie night with this Gochujang Lime popcorn

Drinks

No surprise there, but you can add gochujang to your cocktails. I don’t think this will become mainstream for a while but I am sure some mixologists will try and introduce it to their creations

• Gochujang Gin Sour - this cocktail used gochujang syrup which might be a cool addition for those into mixology 

• Bibigo Gochujang Bloody Mary - I would and I will 

Even more recipes to get creative with:  

• Maangchi’s blog

• Korean Bapsang’s blog

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN: 

It’s a truly laborious process, but if you have the space, the time and the confidence that you can properly sterilise your equipment, this is how to make your own - Korean Bapsang’s step by step 

WHERE TO BUY: 

Take a trip to your local Asian supermarket, but if there isn’t one nearby I spotted a tub in Sainsbury’s a few weeks ago. Sous Chef is always great for ordering specialist ingredients too. 

If you see tiny glass jars that look Westernised and say something along the lines of ‘Korean-inspired’, I beg you, do not buy that stuff. It’s not proper, it’ll probably cost too much and it won’t result in a correct flavour profile.  

Something to watch:

Taste The Nation with Padma Lakshmi, especially the episode that explores Korean NYE celebrations. As someone who grew up without Christmas but with a huge focus on NYE celebrations, this really spoke to me. Available on Disney+ and the new season is arriving in May.

Cookbooks to explore: 

• Koreatown - the book that started off my love for all things Korean cooking. It does a great job of breaking down what the cupboard essentials are and what to look for when you go to a supermarket. Recipes are accessible and weaved in with great stories and histories from food vendors, writers and eaters. 

• Real Korean Cooking - written by YouTuber and blogger Maangchi, you may notice that some of the recipes I shared earlier are from her.

• Korean American - recommended by my pal Juste, who regularly sends me recipes from the book.

• Korean Vegan- this book says what it does on the tin; traditional Korean dishes adopted for a plant-based diet. If my bookshelves didn’t look like they were about to collapse or if I had space for an extra shelf, I would absolutely be buying this. 

• And if you really want to geek out - The Korean Temple Food. 

Something to read:

• Crying in H-Mart - a memoir about living in the U.S., as a first generation Korean American, losing your mother, finding the life you love and reclaiming your identity through food, language and tradition.

Phew! It’s good to be back! If you have a suggestion for an ingredient, get in touch and please, tell your friends about Appetite. 

Anya xx 

Coming up next: Za’atar - a must-have Middle Eastern spice mix  

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