My secret handmade gochujang recipe - Wroking Mom Cook Fusion (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between Gochujang paste and Gochujang sauce? ›

Gochujang paste contains chili powder, fermented soybean powder, barley malt, glutinous rice, and salt. Gochujang sauce includes just a few other ingredients. The folks at Chili Pepper Madness recommend soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and some form of sugar, which could also include honey or maple syrup.

You're likely to see gochujang cut with another ingredients, like sesame oil, crushed garlic, sugar, and/or soy sauce, any of which help to balance some of its intensity.

If the sauce consistency is too thick, thin it out with some warm water, mixing in a little at a time. Use immediately in a recipe or as a dipping sauce, or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2 to 3 weeks.

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.

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.

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.

Some will avoid it due to relatively high sodium content, and others will pass it up because they're worried about the sugar and glutinous rice. However, since it's possible to eat Korean red pepper paste in small quantities, it is not a bad idea to try it once.

Instead of using the paste on its own, I mix it with sesame oil, rice vinegar, and pure maple syrup. The resulting hot sauce is smoother and mellower than the paste, but its taste is just as complex. Add it to Korean food or spoon it over a simple rice bowl, but whatever you do, make it!

Risks and Side Effects

You should avoid gochujang if you are allergic or have a sensitivity to any of its ingredients. If you experience any symptoms like hives, itching or swelling after consumption, discontinue use immediately and consult with your doctor. The amount of capsaicin present is generally safe to consume.

Do you need to refrigerate Gochujang paste after opening? ›

How to Store Gochujang. Once opened, gochujang should be stored in the refrigerator. Like miso, it has quite a long shelf life, as long as it hasn't dried out or changed in color. Should you find yourself with a lot of gochujang leftover, remember that it can be used up in lots of different ways.

This spicy paste is salty, savory and slightly sweet, and can be used in many ways including in soups, stews, marinades and sauces. Traditional Korean dishes that include gochujang are bibimbap, a mixed rice dish, tteokbokki, a spicy rice cake street food, and Jeyuk Bokkeum, a spicy marinated pork stir-fry.

“You can eat gochujang straight up [with fried rice or spread on crusty bread, say], mix it into dips like hummus to jazz them up, or cook it, and dissolving it into soups and stews, for example.” Gochujang is sweet, spicy, fruity, savoury, and unlike anything else.

You can add spicy ingredients like Gochujang paste, red pepper/chili flakes, or hot sauce, and then mix it into your cooked noodles for a fiery kick. Just be aware of how it might change the texture of your ramen noodles. For instance, red pepper flakes or chilli powder won't usually change the textures of dishes.

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.

that can be just fine for a lot of applications like in bibimbap or something where you might already dilute the paste into a sauce, but if you're following a recipe and plan to use it as a sub for paste, i've found you need to use a lot more of the sauce to get the flavor of paste.

It's often labeled "hot pepper paste", and some common brands are Mother in Law and Haechandle. Just be sure you're not buying gochujang sauce, which usually has a bunch of other ingredients in the mix.

Gochujang products are assigned to one of the five levels of spiciness: Mild, Slight Hot, Medium Hot, Very Hot, and Extreme Hot.