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Gochujang

Gochujang is a savory and pungent fermented Korean condiment, a kind of hot sauce. 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.

History

It is believed that gochujang (hot pepper paste) was first used in Korea in the late 1700s. 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.

Ingredients

Gochujang's primary ingredients are red chili powder introduced by Japan in the 16th century, glutinous rice powder mixed with powdered fermented soybeans, 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 kernel, jujube, pumpkin, and sweet potato (hangul: 고구마) 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 flavour.

It has been made at home in Korea since the 16th century, after chili peppers were first introduced. Home-made gochujang has tapered off when commercial production started in the early 1970s and came into the mass market. Now, home-made gochujang can hardly be found.

It is used extensively in Korean cooking, to flavour 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 like chogochujang (초고추장) and ssamjang (hangul: 쌈장). Chogochujang is a variant mixture of gochujang mainly with vinegar and other seasonings like sugar, and sesame seeds. It is usually used as a sauce for hoe and hoedeopbap. Meantime, ssamjang is a mixture of mainly gochujang and doenjang, with chopped onions and other spicy seasonings, and is popular with sangchissahm (hangul: 상치쌈), which is a lettuce wrap of marinated, grilled meat with sliced garlic and green chili peppers.

Nutrition and health

Gochujang has traditionally been one of the three indispensable household condiments, along with doenjang and ganjang. Gochujang is rich in protein, fats, vitamin B2, vitamin C, and carotene.

Main sauce

Gochujang is largely recommended to add to Korean food, especially bibimbap' and tteokbokki. Gochujang'' plays a role in food, making dishes spicier, but also somewhat more sour.

In Sichuan cuisine, a similar form of hot bean paste is called doubanjiang, with fermented broad beans as the primary ingredient instead of glutinous rice.