Properly Seasoned Gochujang Sauce | 양념 고추장

Pronounced:Yahng-Nyeom Kkoh-Chu Jahng

What: My Mom buys gochujang from the Korean grocery store, and adds in seasonings to make it tasty. Most Koreans just buy the gochujang (no one has time to make it at home, let’s be real) and season it up. You definitely do not eat it straight out of the container!

Gochujang is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment made from chili powder, glutinous rice, meju (fermented soybean) powder, yeotgireum (barley malt powder), and salt.

양념 (Yahng-Nyeom) = Seasoned
고추장 (Kkoh-Chu Jahng) = Gochujang aka Korean Red Pepper Paste

Taste: Spicy and savory chili paste that is sweetened and loosened by plum extract with hints of sesame flavor.

How It’s Made: No prep needed. Just buy the ingredients, and mix all the ingredients in a small bowl.

What to Serve it With:

We dip our chopsticks into this sauce and add it into our seaweed wraps, boiled cabbage wraps, lettuce wraps, etc. that has rice in it.
We dip bell peppers, Korean chili pepper (yes a pepper dipped in its own paste), Anaheim pepper, fresh seaweed, cucumber, celery, sweet onions (raw), broccoli, and boiled cabbage into this sauce!
Add in a drizzle of sesame oil, and you got bibimbap sauce.
Add in a splash of white or rice vinegar if you want a tangy taste. Pairs well with squid and octopus.
Add in minced garlic if you want that raw, garlicky taste (duh)! But be aware, it’s raw so it will burn.

Notes & Tips:

My Mom’s favorite brand of gochujang is by Sempio.
- You can find gochujang at any Korean grocery store.
- Sizes come in 1.1lbs (individual size) to 6.1lbs (family size). In red tubs.
- All brands differ in saltiness and spiciness!
My Mom’s favorite brand of plum extract is CJ Brand.
- You can find this at the Korean Grocery Store.
- She uses this to dilute the gochujang and add sweetness to it.
- If you do not have plum extract, no problem. You can use water and sugar, honey, agave syrup, or any sweeter that doesn’t have a overly strong flavor. My mom personally doesn’t use honey. All preference!

Yield: 4-6 Servings but you just eat it until you finish it!

Author: Sarah Ahn

Properly Seasoned Gochujang Sauce

Spicy and savory Korean chili paste that is sweetened and seasoned by plum extract with hints of sesame flavor.

Prep time: 3 MCook time: Total time: 3 M

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp gochujang (We use Sempio brand) (86g)
3 Tbsp plum juice (We use CJ brand) (47g) (any neutral sweetener is fine)*
1 Tbsp roasted sesame seed (8g)

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients. When measuring out gochujang, it doesn't have to be exact. It's okay to go over.
Serve with lettuce wraps and rice, bell peppers, Korean chili pepper (yes a pepper dipped in its own paste), Anaheim pepper, fresh seaweed, cucumber, celery, sweet onions (raw), broccoli, and boiled cabbage into this sauce! Add in a drizzle of sesame oil, and you got bibimbap sauce.

Notes:

*Both gochujang and plum extract can be found at the Korean Grocery Store *If you do not have plum extract, no problem. You can use water and sugar, agave syrup, or any sweeter that doesn’t have a overly strong flavor.