Ever used, much less heard of Gochujang?

RRP

Just read this on MSN Lifestyles:

The Secret Ingredient You Should Have in Your Pantry (but Don’t)

 

© Lilechka75/Getty Images

Oh, hello, giant plate of spaghetti Bolognese. What’s that hint of sweet spiciness we taste? Is it red pepper? Is it cinnamon? Is it cumin?

Nope, nope and nope. It’s a traditional Korean ingredient called gochujang (pronounced go-chu-jang), and it’s your new secret weapon.

Made from red chile paste, sticky rice and fermented soybeans, gochujang is a veritable flavor bomb. It’s hot, sweet, pungent and savory all at once. It’s the same consistency and concentration as miso paste and similarly versatile.

Stir it into jarred tomato sauce, soups, marinades or even ketchup to make a fancy dipping sauce for French fries. Thin it with olive oil and toss your veggies in the mixture before roasting them. Mix it into your deviled eggs, scrambled eggs or sheet pan eggs. Use it to instantly elevate store-bought hummus. Starting to get the picture? It’s the perfect magical ingredient when you need to add that little extra something-something.

The great news: Gochujang is easy to find in the supermarket. Just head over to the international aisle and scout out a big red tub. It’s inexpensive, and it’ll last for about three months in the refrigerator. (If you don’t use it up by then.)

theyolksonyou

Yep. Keep it in the house.  Good stuff. 

cookingdude555

Yes. I’ve probably had it, I like eating Asian food. I don’t know what’s on my plate when I order it but it’s always tasty. 

UncleBilly

I’ve only used it in the Spicy Korean Meatballs recipe that @bgebrent posted awhile ago.  If that is the only thing I ever use it for it is worth having on hand.  

kaybee

Great stuff. Makes an awesome chicken marinade/glaze with some orange juice, soy and ginger.

RRP

OK, gang - is it hard to find? We have a couple Asian grocery stores in town so I guess I'll go looking tomorrow!

dharley

I use it for Korean wings and BBQ. I think it's irreplaceable in Korean recipes. It's easy to find around here in paste and on Amazon in the chili flake form which I've used to make kimchi a few times. 

JohnInCarolina

RRP said:

OK, gang - is it hard to find? We have a couple Asian grocery stores in town so I guess I'll go looking tomorrow!

Ron, our local grocery store - Harris Teeter - actually carries it.  If your local place has an “international” aisle, you might want to look for it there first.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

It’s in all our stores as well. Even the smaller format grocery stores. Use it all the time

Ima_good_egg

It’s a frequent flyer in our house as well. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

I hear it’s good on pizza. Who knew? 

jeffwit

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

I hear it’s good on pizza. Who knew? 

I wish somebody would start a thread about a pizza with gochujang meatballs. 

Mattman3969

No way I’d be sharing this information!   

Nothin “off topic” about Gochujang 

kaybee

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

I hear it’s good on pizza. Who knew? 

Now that has the wheels turning... Use it as a sauce base, some smoked orange-ginger--soy beef short rib, black garlic and Thai basil. Cheese selection may be a bit weird, not a big part of asian cuisine. I'd probably go with just straight mozzarella...

bgebrent

kaybee said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

I hear it’s good on pizza. Who knew? 

Now that has the wheels turning... Use it as a sauce base, some smoked orange-ginger--soy beef short rib, black garlic and Thai basil. Cheese selection may be a bit weird, not a big part of asian cuisine. I'd probably go with just straight mozzarella...

John's looked edible.

JohnInCarolina

kaybee said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

I hear it’s good on pizza. Who knew? 

Now that has the wheels turning... Use it as a sauce base, some smoked orange-ginger--soy beef short rib, black garlic and Thai basil. Cheese selection may be a bit weird, not a big part of asian cuisine. I'd probably go with just straight mozzarella...

Some great options here for sure.

SSQUAL612

I’m in SoCal so our markets have a section for Asian ingredients & it’s readily available at most stores.  

bgebrent

Should be easy to find Ron, International isle or Asian section.  Good luck.

RRP

Thanks all of you! I wonder if there is any comparison (since SWMBO had a couple days of "trots") to when I used MSG for the first time at home.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

“Trots”. Love it

JohnInCarolina

RRP said:

Thanks all of you! I wonder if there is any comparison (since SWMBO had a couple days of "trots") to when I used MSG for the first time at home.

I guess it depends...

RRP

JohnInCarolina said:

RRP said:

Thanks all of you! I wonder if there is any comparison (since SWMBO had a couple days of "trots") to when I used MSG for the first time at home.

I guess it depends...

Oh I agree...wouldn't be the first time I bought something one or the other of us could not stand - so if this stuff is as cheap as they say then several gallons of water flushed down the toilet the next few days isn't a big cost!

SGH

@RRP
Sorry for the hijack and straying off topic, but wanted to let you know I finally made it home my friend. Currently sitting pretty “just this side” of Biloxi, MS. And brother believe me when I say that it’s good to finally be home. 

JohnInCarolina

RRP said:

JohnInCarolina said:

RRP said:

Thanks all of you! I wonder if there is any comparison (since SWMBO had a couple days of "trots") to when I used MSG for the first time at home.

I guess it depends...

Oh I agree...wouldn't be the first time I bought something one or the other of us could not stand - so if this stuff is as cheap as they say then several gallons of water flushed down the toilet the next few days isn't a big cost!

Ron have you ever had Korean food?  If you’ve had Bibimbap (meat and veggies, with egg over a bed of rice in a pot) then often this stuff is served with it.  You don’t need much of it, as it’s typically pretty spicy.

odie91

Ron they make it without MSG too.  I grew up eating this stuff, but just recently discovered my favorite version at a grocery here ;  it comes in a glass bottle and can be poured out.   The stuff in the rectangular tubs is usually a lot thicker and hard to mix.

Botch

In '99, I found a Korean place for lunch with a Japanese name of "Teriyaki Now", and fell in love with their korean Hot & Spicy Chicken, but could never duplicate it at home.  
It was only a year and a half ago or so that I finally discovered gochujang, and I've had the tub available ever since.  
I did buy a 4-oz jar of "gochujang", that tasted wrong; learned that it didn't have the fermented rice, which is the key to its taste, imnsho.  Get the tub, and it's available on Amazon.
Oh, and my favorite Korean place recently changed their name (thankfully not their recipes/cooks) to the sadly-confusing name, Seoul Food.  d'Oh!!  

Eggcelsior

My Korean brother-in-law recommends this brand:

theyolksonyou

Eggcelsior said:

My Korean brother-in-law recommends this brand:

You have a Puerto Rican wife and a Korean BIL?  Damn United Nations up in here. 

JustOneOfTheGuys

@RRP if you can’t find it up by you, PM me and I’ll send ya some.  The local H-Mart here carry tons of the stuff... H-mart is a local chain of Korean supermarkets.  Besides, I need an excuse to pick up some of their marinated single pork belly.. cooks up like pork candy

gdenby

A couple of years ago, one Asian market here had 1 variety. Now it has 3 brands, and I've seen it at a Meier's store recently.

Momofuko makes their own variant, Ssam sauce, that combines the gochujang w. other flavors, like miso and soy. Very striking flavor, but needs to be added to Egged meats just before finish, or the flavors bake off, leaving just the chili.

saluki2007

The Asian market on University has it and just about anything else you can think of.  Great store if you've never been.