Gochujang (Korean Red Chili Paste)
What it is
The glossy, brick-red, thick-and-sticky fermented chili paste that defines modern Korean flavor — sweet, spicy, savory, and umami all at once.
How it's made
Gochugaru (Korean chili powder) is combined with fermented soybean powder (meju), a starchy sweet base (glutinous rice, barley malt, or other grain), salt, and water, then fermented in onggi, traditionally under the sun. Enzymes from the malt and meju break down the starch into sugars during the ferment, building the paste's signature sweetness alongside its heat and savor.
Flavor profile
A layered balance of chili heat, fermented-soybean umami, malty sweetness, and salt, with a deep red color and a thick, clinging body. Mellower and rounder than raw chili.
Culinary uses
Tteokbokki, bibimbap sauce, bulgogi and dak-galbi marinades, gochujang-jjigae, ssamjang, and as a table condiment. One of the most globally recognized Korean ingredients.
Regional variations
Sunchang County is the celebrated heartland of traditional gochujang; styles vary in heat, sweetness, and grain base by region and maker.
Cultural & historical context
Like all Korean chili foods, gochujang postdates the chili's arrival via post-Columbian trade; it became codified over the following centuries into a national staple, now central to the global spread of Korean cuisine.
Reference notes
Tags: `fermented`, `chili-paste`, `spicy`, `sweet`, `korean`, `vegan`. Vegan. Related ingredients: Gochugaru, Doenjang, Glutinous rice, Ssamjang. Related cuisines: Korean. Suggested links: Doenjang, Gochugaru, Harissa (comparison), Doubanjiang (comparison).