Must Have Korean Ingredients | Items to Buy at Korean Grocery Store
Must Have ingredients to Buy at the Korean Grocery Market
Left to Right
Top Row: Korean Red Pepper Flakes (good quality), Sesame Oil, Beksul Frying Mix, Garlic
Middle Row: Sempio Soybean Paste, Miso Paste, Dried Large Anchovies
Bottom Row: Apple Vinegar, Plum Extract Syrup, Three Crabs Fish Sauce, Sempio Korean Red Pepper Paste, Sesame Seeds (roasted), Kikkoman Soy Sauce
Here is a list of ingredients Koreans often buy from the Korean Grocery Store. These ingredients are used almost everyday to make my Mom’s classic Korean dishes. I consider these the ingredients that make her dishes authentically Korean and unique.
I recommend buying these ingredients next time you go to the Korean Grocery Store. Below, I explain how and why each ingredient is used, the brands my Mom recommends, and where exactly you can find them in the Korean Grocery Store.
Korean Red Pepper Flakes (high quality)
Plum Extract Syrup
CJ Dasida Beef Stock Powder
Three Crabs Fish Sauce
Beksul Korean Frying Mix
Sempio Korean Red Pepper Paste
Sempio Soybean Paste
Miso Paste
Regular Kikkoman Soy Sauce
Dried Large Anchovy
Sesame Oil
Apple, Rice, or White Vinegar
Roasted Sesame Seeds
Korean Red Pepper Flakes or Powder (high quality)
Brand: No particular brand. You need to look for 2 qualities:
Product of Korea
Price range is $18-$25 for about 2.2 lbs— if it’s too cheap, it’s likely about to expire.
How It’s Used & Why:
We use this to make kimchi and to add spice to our Korean dishes.
Where to Find:
You can find this in the dry seasoning and spices aisle.
Some of the best ones may be located towards the front— where the “in season, just imported” items are often displayed there.
Plum Extract Syrup
Brand: Any brand from the Korean Grocery Store is fine. We often buy Beksul Plum Extract Syrup.
How It’s Used & Why:
Adds a sweet taste to our Korean dishes that differs from sugar. Enhances the dish significantly, and many Korean use this.
Where to Find at Korean Grocery Store:
You can find this in the seasoning/sauces/syrup aisle.
Beef Stock Powder
Brand: CJ Dasida Soup Stock, Beef Flavor
How It’s Used & Why:
It’s beef stock + MSG. It makes savory dishes taste so much better. You add in a teaspoon or two into stews, soups, rice dishes, marinade, etc. No, MSG is not bad for you.
Where to Find at Korean Grocery Store:
You can find this in the dry seasoning and spices aisle.
Fish Sauce
Brand: Three Crabs Fish Sauce
How It’s Used & Why:
This is the brand all Asians use. It adds a nice, salty taste to the foods. No, you’re food won’t taste like fish. It’s a tasty salt to add to enhance many Korean dishes.
Where to Find at Korean Grocery Store:
You can find this in the seasoning/sauces/syrup aisle.
Korean Frying Mix
Brand: Beksul Frying Mix
How It’s Used & Why:
Beksul has the best frying mix; the other brands aren’t as good. This frying mix has added seasonings to it that makes frying ANY thing so much crispier, tastier, and more flavorful. This is used to fry foods like Korean pancakes. My Mom doesn’t use regular all purpose flour because she uses this.
Where to Find at Korean Grocery Store:
You can find this in the Korean dry seasoning and spices aisle. Make sure you buy the Frying Mix, NOT the pancake mix. You do not need to buy the pancake mix to make Korean pancakes. The frying mix does it all, if not, better.
Korean Red Pepper Paste
Brand: Sempio Hot Pepper Paste
This brand has been around since my Mom was a little kid. It tastes the best.
How It’s Used & Why:
This is used in many ways— in soups, meats, meals, gochujang dip, and dishes like tteukboki to give it that sweet, spicy Korean taste.
Where to Find at Korean Grocery Store:
You can find this in the seasoning/sauces/syrup aisle. There is an aisle full of different brands.
Soybean Paste
Brand: Sempio Soybean Paste
This brand has been around since my Mom was a little kid. It tastes the best.
How It’s Used & Why:
We mainly use this to make Soybean Paste Soup. It is also used as a dip for pork belly.
Where to Find at Korean Grocery Store:
You can easily find this in the seasoning/sauces/syrup aisle. There is an aisle full of different brands.
Miso Paste
Brand: Any brand made from Japan at the Korean Grocery Store is fine. We often buy Marukome Boy Koji Miso.
How It’s Used & Why: We use this to make miso soup and we add this paste to our Soybean Paste Soup.
Where to Find at Korean Grocery Store: You can find this in the refrigerated section, often near the tofu.
Dried Large Anchovy
Brand: Look for fresh looking dried anchovies. Some are very old. We buy the ones that are freshly imported (comes in cardboard boxes) but we buy A LOT so this may not be suitable for individuals. For individuals, just buy the packaged ones, shown below.
How It’s Used & Why:
We use this to create anchovy broth which is used as a base for many Korean stews and soups.
Where to Find at Korean Grocery Store:
You can find this in a refrigerated section of dried anchovies.
Some of the best ones may be located towards the front— where the “in season, just imported” anchovies in cardboard boxes are located.
Sesame Oil
Brand: No particular brand. Just make sure it’s Pure Sesame Oil. Product of Korea of Japan preferred.
How It’s Used & Why: We use this to create marinades and we add a drizzle of sesame oil to many Korean dishes. It adds a distinct flavor.
Where to Find at Korean Grocery Store: You can find this in the seasoning/sauces/syrup aisle.
Regular Soy Sauce
Brand: Regular Kikkoman
How It’s Used & Why:
We use regular soy sauce because low sodium soy sauce is not necessary for us.
Where to Find at Korean Grocery Store:
You can find this in the seasoning/sauces/syrup aisle. You can get a better deal at Costco though. We buy the 25 gallon from the Business Only Warehouse Costco.
Vinegar
Brand: We buy apple vinegar (not apple cider vinegar) from any Korean brand that is on sale. Brand does not matter. You can also buy rice vinegar or just use white vinegar.
How It’s Used & Why:
We use vinegar to create marinades and it is used for our soy sauce dips (1 Tbsp soy sauce + 1/2 Tbsp vinegar)
Where to Find at Korean Grocery Store:
You can find this in the seasoning/sauces/syrup aisle.
Roasted Sesame Seeds
Brand: No particular brand. Whatever looks most fresh.
How It’s Used & Why:
Often used to garnish our Korean dishes.
Where to Find at Korean Grocery Store:
You can find this in the dry seasoning and spices aisle.
Other: Rice Cakes (the fresh ones, but packaged is OK), dumplings (our favorite brand is Duru Duru), and fresh garlic (we buy garlic with skin on it from Costco. Peeled garlic have this wax coat on it that hinders the taste— Koreans eat A LOT of garlic so we can tell!).
I hope this helps! Definitely buy these items if you want to start cooking more Korean dishes. These are items many Korean households have in their kitchen. It’s what gives that distinct, Korean authentic taste that you simply can’t find at your local grocery store.
I learned a lot from my Mom while creating this post, and enjoyed writing this one. I never knew how key these ingredients are to making the best Korean foods!
Eat Well,
Sarah
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