gochujang

[goyatofu]

sorry to ask what must seem like a really dumb question....

I had bibimbap for the first time (I know, blasphemously late) in Japan of all places. I can't eat things that are too spicy so I've been missing out. Anyhow, the sauce for the bibimbap was SWEET and just a bit spicy. So good! Now I want to recreate it at home. I have a Korean grocery nearby. Is gochujang what I need? How spicy is it? I've searched for bibimbap recipes on the net and they say to use a "seasoned red pepper paste", some combination of this gochujang, sugar, sesame oil.

Any help would be great! Thanks!!

[torakris]

I don't think of kochujang as all that spicy, maybe a little less then tabasco and quite a bit less spicy then sriracha, but I have a fairly high tolerance for spicy foods.

Sweet is not a word I would use to desribe kochujang so it is very likely it was sweetened with sugar. At home I serve my bibimbap with kochujang straight from the tub and I have seen it this way in Japanese restaurants as well. kochujang is quite a thick paste and if it looks very smooth and runs off a spoon it probably has been added to, most likely with either soy, sugar or sesame oil or a combination.

Buy some for your self and then dress it up to taste, another way to lessen the heat would be to mix it with some white miso.

kochujang is great stuff and I am sure you will find lots of uses for it!

[torakris]

a former thead on kochujang:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...48&hl=kochujang

[goyatofu]

Thanks Kristin,

Sorry for the repetitive question, I did a search for "gochujang" in this section but couldn't find that last thread.

That's great! I was looking for it to be in a jar! Now I have a search image.

I also bought this Taiwanese "sweet chilli sauce" it was a buck so I thought I'll give it a try, it's actually quite similar to the one I had in Japan.

I was also eyeing the Japanese brand "Momoya" Kimichi no moto (Kimchi base). I guess that's not the one I want.

thanks!!

[torakris]

Thanks Kristin,

Sorry for the repetitive question, I did a search for "gochujang" in this section but couldn't find that last thread. 

That's great! I was looking for it to be in a jar! Now I have a search image.

I also bought this Taiwanese "sweet chilli sauce" it was a buck so I thought I'll give it a try, it's actually quite similar to the one I had in Japan.

I was also eyeing the Japanese brand "Momoya" Kimichi no moto (Kimchi base). I guess that's not the one I want.

thanks!!

I think is hard to find becasue everyone spells it differently!

In Japan it can be found in small glas jars, but that is a Japanese brand and I find the Korean ones slightly better, though the Japanese made kochujang tends to be sweeter, so if that is what you are looking for...........

As to that kimchi no moto, the only thing it is good for is the garbage disposal!

[Jason Perlow]

I've seen and had this red sauce you describe, its sweet and slightly on the spicy side. It's techically Korean Sashimi Sauce and I think you can find it bottled. It does have a little bit of gochujang in it.

[touaregsand]

sorry to ask what must seem like a really dumb question....

I had bibimbap for the first time (I know, blasphemously late) in Japan of all places.  I can't eat things that are too spicy so I've been missing out. Anyhow, the sauce for the bibimbap was SWEET and just a bit spicy. So good!  Now I want to recreate it at home.  I have a Korean grocery nearby.  Is gochujang what I need? How spicy is it?  I've searched for bibimbap recipes on the net and they say to use a "seasoned red pepper paste", some combination of this gochujang, sugar, sesame oil.

Any help would be great! Thanks!!

←

Add a little sugar, rice wine vinegar, sesame seeds and sesame oil to the gochujang. I don't think I've ever had or been served bibimbap with just plain gochujang.

[Hector]

How do you make gochu jang at home?? is it very like other chilli pastes? or something different added. I've never tried it.. I think.. my experiences of eating and cooking korean food out is very limited.

[touaregsand]

The traditional method for making gochujang is really time-consuming and labor intensive. But it does result in the three mother sauces of Korean cooking: dwenjang (fermented bean paste), Kanjang (Korean style soy sauce, sometimes called Chosun Kanjang) and gochujang.

A quick method for making gochujang is with white miso paste, malt syrup and Korean red pepper flakes that have been reconstituted in ice cold water. The result is a sweeter than traditional gochujang without the complex flavors that aging brings.

There are lots of good to excellent commercial brands available now. In Korea it's possible to find artisanal made gochujang. Very few people make it at home anymore.

[Soup]

Anyone have any thoughts on the best brand and type of gochujang at the korean G-Store?

I only have a table spoon of the stuff my mom gave me and I need to replenish.

Soup

[touaregsand]

The brand I have is Sem Poh. My mom brought if from Korea. The label is entirely in Korean so the Romanization is mine. It's one of my favorite brands. I'm not sure if it's available in America. I mooch most of my pantry items off of my parents.

[Kiem Hwa]

This is the "gochujang" I recently bought. There were so many different ones at the store (all with different Korean characters on the label), and I was quite confused as to what exactly was the true gochoujang. Well, I settled on this one:

[touaregsand]

This is the "gochujang" I recently bought.  There were so many different ones at the store (all with different Korean characters on the label), and I was quite confused as to what exactly was the true gochoujang.  Well, I settled on this one:

←

The label says Da de gee

This is the commercial brand that I use. It's produced by Sempio Foods. It's not a 'true' gochujang in that it is not fermented in the same way and of course the ingredients are a bit different. But it mimics the flavor of homemade or artisanal made and is perfectly acceptable.