What Is Gochujang and how to use it?

What is Gochujang?

Gochujang is a spicy Korean pepper paste made from red chilli peppers, sticky rice, fermented soya beans and salt. It not only adds chilli heat to dishes but a deep savouriness from the fermented soya beans. It can be used in marinades, sauces and soups, among other things.

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. To compare it with two popular sauces that almost always comes up in the same breath, gochujang is like the love child of sriracha and miso—spicy like the former, pungent like the latter—with a hint of sweetness. You could probably guess this from the color and flavor, but chilies (specifically, a type of dried chile powder called gochugaru) are one of the main ingredients, along with salt, glutinous rice (aka sticky rice), and fermented soybeans.

How to start cooking with gochujang?

On its own, gochujang is quite pungent, so it's usually mixed with other ingredients to balance its intensity. In Korea, it's typically stirred into marinades for meat, stews, and stir-fries, or cut with vinegar or oil so it can be served as a sauce. You'll also find it on Korean fried chicken.