Gochujang
Encyclopedia
Gochujang is a savory and pungent fermented Korean condiment
. Traditionally, it has been naturally fermented
over years in large earthen pots outdoors, more often on an elevated stone platform, called jangdokdae (장독대) in the backyard. Its HS code
is 2103.90.1030.
was introduced via Japan
in the 16th century. According to the Jungbo Sallim geongje (증보산림경제, 1765), gochujang was made by adding powdered red chili peppers and glutinous rice
powder to soybean paste, and aging this paste under the sun. This recipe is similar to the recipe used today to make gochujang.
Gochujangs primary ingredients are red chili
powder, glutinous rice
powder mixed with powdered fermented soybean
s, and salt. Major substitutes for the main ingredient, glutinous rice (hangul: 찹쌀), include normal short-grain rice (hangul: 멥쌀), and barley
, and less frequently, whole wheat kernels, jujube
s, pumpkin
, and sweet potato
; these ingredients are used to make specialty variations. A small amount of sweetener, such as sugar, syrup, or honey
, is also sometimes added. It is a dark, reddish paste with a rich, piquant flavor.
It has been made at home in Korea since the 16th century, after chili peppers were first introduced. The making of gochujang at home began tapering off when commercial production started in the early 1970s and came into the mass market. Now, homemade gochujang can hardly be found.
It is used extensively in Korean cooking, to flavor stews (jjigae
) such as gochujang jjigae, marinate meat such as gochujang bulgogi
, and as a condiment for naengmyeon
and bibimbap
.
Gochujang is also used as a base for making other condiments, such as chogochujang (초고추장) and ssamjang
(hangul
: 쌈장).
Chogochujang is a variant of gochujang made from gochujang with added vinegar and other seasonings, such as sugar and sesame seeds. It is usually used as a sauce for hoe
and hoedeopbap
. Similarly, ssamjang is a mixture of mainly gochujang and doenjang
, with chopped onions and other spicy seasonings, and is popular with sangchussahm (hangul: 상추쌈), which is a lettuce wrap of grilled meat, sliced garlic, green chili peppers and other vegetables.
and ganjang
. Gochujang contains protein, fats, vitamin B2, vitamin C, and carotene.
and tteokbokki
. Gochujang makes dishes spicier (contributed by the capsaicins from the chili), but also somewhat more sweet.
Condiment
A condiment is an edible substance, such as sauce or seasoning, added to food to impart a particular flavor, enhance its flavor, or in some cultures, to complement the dish. Many condiments are available packaged in single-serving sachets , like mustard or ketchup, particularly when supplied with...
. Traditionally, it has been naturally fermented
Fermentation (food)
Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
over years in large earthen pots outdoors, more often on an elevated stone platform, called jangdokdae (장독대) in the backyard. Its HS code
Harmonized System
The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System of tariff nomenclature is an internationally standardized system of names and numbers for classifying traded products developed and maintained by the World Customs Organization , an independent intergovernmental organization with over 170...
is 2103.90.1030.
History
Gochujang (hot pepper paste) is believed to have been first used in Korea in the late 18th century, after chiliChili pepper
Chili pepper is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The term in British English and in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and other Asian countries is just chilli without pepper.Chili peppers originated in the Americas...
was introduced via Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in the 16th century. According to the Jungbo Sallim geongje (증보산림경제, 1765), gochujang was made by adding powdered red chili peppers and glutinous rice
Glutinous rice
Glutinous rice is a type of short-grained Asian rice that is especially sticky when cooked. It is called glutinous Glutinous rice (Oryza sativa var. glutinosa or Oryza glutinosa; also called sticky rice, sweet rice, waxy rice, botan rice, biroin chal, mochi rice, and pearl rice, and pulut) is a...
powder to soybean paste, and aging this paste under the sun. This recipe is similar to the recipe used today to make gochujang.
Ingredients
Chili pepper
Chili pepper is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The term in British English and in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and other Asian countries is just chilli without pepper.Chili peppers originated in the Americas...
powder, glutinous rice
Glutinous rice
Glutinous rice is a type of short-grained Asian rice that is especially sticky when cooked. It is called glutinous Glutinous rice (Oryza sativa var. glutinosa or Oryza glutinosa; also called sticky rice, sweet rice, waxy rice, botan rice, biroin chal, mochi rice, and pearl rice, and pulut) is a...
powder mixed with powdered fermented soybean
Soybean
The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...
s, and salt. Major substitutes for the main ingredient, glutinous rice (hangul: 찹쌀), include normal short-grain rice (hangul: 멥쌀), and barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
, and less frequently, whole wheat kernels, jujube
Jujube
Ziziphus zizyphus , commonly called jujube , red date, Chinese date, Korean date, or Indian date is a species of Ziziphus in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae, used primarily as a fruiting shade tree.-Distribution:Its precise natural distribution is uncertain due to extensive cultivation,...
s, pumpkin
Pumpkin
A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...
, and sweet potato
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
; these ingredients are used to make specialty variations. A small amount of sweetener, such as sugar, syrup, or honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
, is also sometimes added. It is a dark, reddish paste with a rich, piquant flavor.
It has been made at home in Korea since the 16th century, after chili peppers were first introduced. The making of gochujang at home began tapering off when commercial production started in the early 1970s and came into the mass market. Now, homemade gochujang can hardly be found.
It is used extensively in Korean cooking, to flavor stews (jjigae
Jjigae
Jjigae is a Korean dish similar to a Western stew. There are many different varieties but it is typically made with meat, seafood or vegetables in a broth seasoned with gochujang, doenjang, ganjang or saeujeot. Jjigae is typically served in a communal dish and boiling hot.A Korean meal almost...
) such as gochujang jjigae, marinate meat such as gochujang bulgogi
Bulgogi
Bulgogi is a Korean dish that usually consists of marinated barbecued beef, although chicken or pork may also be used. It is listed at number 23 on World's 50 most delicious foods readers' poll complied by CNN Go in 2011.-Etymology:...
, and as a condiment for naengmyeon
Naengmyeon
Naengmyeon is a Korean dish of long and thin hand-made noodles made from the flour and starch of various ingredients: buckwheat , potatoes, sweet potatoes, 칡냉면, naengmyun made with the starch from arrowroot , and kudzu...
and bibimbap
Bibimbap
Bibimbap is a signature Korean dish. The word literally means "mixed meal." Bibimbap is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul and gochujang . A raw or fried egg and sliced meat are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating...
.
Gochujang is also used as a base for making other condiments, such as chogochujang (초고추장) and ssamjang
Ssamjang
Ssamjang is a thick, spicy paste used with food wrapped in a leaf in Korean cuisine. The sauce is made of doenjang, gochujang, sesame oil, onion, garlic, green onions, and optionally brown sugar.-Use:...
(hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 쌈장).
Chogochujang is a variant of gochujang made from gochujang with added vinegar and other seasonings, such as sugar and sesame seeds. It is usually used as a sauce for hoe
Hoe (dish)
Hoe may refer to various raw food dishes in Korean cuisine. Saengseon hoe or "Hwal-eo hoe" is thinly sliced raw fish or other raw seafood ; yukhoe is hoe made with a raw beef and seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine; and gan hoe is raw beef liver with a sauce of sesame oil and...
and hoedeopbap
Hoedeopbap
Hoedeopbap is a Korean dish consisting of steamed rice mixed with sliced or cubed saengseon hoe , various vegetables such as lettuce, cucumber and sesame leaves, sesame oil, and chogochujang...
. Similarly, ssamjang is a mixture of mainly gochujang and doenjang
Doenjang
Doenjang is a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste. Its name literally means "thick paste" in Korean.-Production:...
, with chopped onions and other spicy seasonings, and is popular with sangchussahm (hangul: 상추쌈), which is a lettuce wrap of grilled meat, sliced garlic, green chili peppers and other vegetables.
Nutrition and health
Gochujang has traditionally been one of the three indispensable household condiments, along with doenjangDoenjang
Doenjang is a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste. Its name literally means "thick paste" in Korean.-Production:...
and ganjang
Ganjang
Ganjang is a kind of Korean soy sauce made from fermented soybeans. Ganjang is a uniquely Korean condiment.Traditionally, Koreans start processing soybeans around the 10th month of the lunar calendar. They soak soybeans overnight and then boil them. They then pound the soybeans into a powder and...
. Gochujang contains protein, fats, vitamin B2, vitamin C, and carotene.
Use
Gochujang is used in bibimbapBibimbap
Bibimbap is a signature Korean dish. The word literally means "mixed meal." Bibimbap is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul and gochujang . A raw or fried egg and sliced meat are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating...
and tteokbokki
Tteokbokki
Tteokbokki, also known as Ddeokbokki is a popular Korean snack food which is commonly purchased from street vendors or Pojangmacha. Originally it was called tteok jjim , and was a braised dish of sliced rice cake, meat, eggs, and seasoning. Tteok jjim an early variant of modern tteokbokki, was...
. Gochujang makes dishes spicier (contributed by the capsaicins from the chili), but also somewhat more sweet.
See also
- Fermented bean pasteFermented bean pasteFermented bean paste is a category of fermented foods typically made from ground soybeans, which are indigenous to the cuisines of East and Southeast Asia...
- DoenjangDoenjangDoenjang is a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste. Its name literally means "thick paste" in Korean.-Production:...
- DoubanjiangDoubanjiangDoubanjiang is a spicy, salty paste made from fermented broad beans, soybeans, salt, rice, and various spices. Doubanjiang exists in plain and spicy versions, with the latter containing red chili peppers and called la doubanjiang .It is used particularly in Sichuan cuisine, and in fact, the people...
- Korean cuisine
- List of Korea-related topics