Gochujang

---

title: "Gochujang" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["chili-paste", "fermented-soy-based-foods", "korean-condiments", "korean-words-and-phrases", "korean-cuisine", "joseon-cuisine"] description: "Spicy fermented Korean condiment" topic_path: "geography/korea" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gochujang" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Spicy fermented Korean condiment ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox food"]

Field	Value
name	Gochujang
image	Korean chili pepper paste GOCHUJANG.jpg
alternate_name	Red chili paste
place_of_origin	Korea
associated_cuisine	Korean cuisine
main_ingredient	Gochu-garu (chili powder), glutinous rice, meju-garu (fermented soybean powder)
other	HS code: 2103.90.1030
module	{{Infobox Korean name/auto
child	yes
hangul	고추장
hanja	고추醬
ipa
::

| name = Gochujang | image = Korean chili pepper paste GOCHUJANG.jpg | caption = | alternate_name = Red chili paste | place_of_origin = Korea | region = | associated_cuisine = Korean cuisine | creator = | year = | mintime = | maxtime = | type = | course = | served = | main_ingredient = Gochu-garu (chili powder), glutinous rice, meju-garu (fermented soybean powder) | minor_ingredient = | variations = | serving_size = | calories = | calories_ref = | protein = | fat = | carbohydrate = | glycemic_index = | similar_dish = | other = HS code: 2103.90.1030 | module = {{Infobox Korean name/auto | child = yes | hangul = 고추장 | hanja = 고추醬 | ipa =

Gochujang or red chili paste

• is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from gochugaru (red chili powder), chapssal (glutinous rice), meju (fermented soybean) powder, yeotgireum (barley malt powder), and salt. The sweetness comes from the starch of cooked glutinous rice, cultured with saccharifying enzymes during the fermentation process. Traditionally, it would be naturally fermented over years in jangdok (earthenware) on an elevated stone platform called jangdokdae in the backyard.

History

Shiyi xinjian (食醫心鑑), a mid-9th century Chinese document, recorded the Korean pepper paste as 苦椒醬 (). The second-oldest documentation of pepper paste is found in the 1433 Korean book Collected Prescriptions of Native Korean Medicines. Pepper paste is again mentioned in a 1445 medical encyclopedia named Compendia of Medical Prescriptions. However, all these sources are from the time before the actual chili peppers were introduced to Korea.

Chili peppers, which originated in the Americas, were introduced to East Asia by Portuguese traders in the early 16th century. There is mention of a type of chili pepper brought to Korea found in Collected Essays of Jibong, an encyclopedia published in 1614. Farm Management, a book from , discussed the cultivation methods of chili peppers.

The history of Sunchang gochujang as a regional specialty dates back to the 14th century, at the start of the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910), when the founder Yi Seong-gye made gochujang from the Sunchang region a part of Korean palace cuisine.When Yi Seong-gye, who went on to become the founder and first king of Joseon as King Taejo, was on a trip to Manilsa Temple to pray to the mountain god, he is said to have eaten a bowl of barley bibimbab (spicy mixed rice with vegetables) with gochujang that he found unforgettably delicious. He loved it so much that he ordered it served to the royal family when he became king. Thus Sunchang gochujang gained fame as a regional specialty.In the 18th-century books, Somun saseol () and Revised and Augmented Farm Management, gochujang is written as ko, using hanja characters 苦椒醬 and 古椒醬. It is also mentioned that Sunchang County was renowned for its gochujang production. China and Japan, the countries with which Korea has historically shared the most culture and trade, do not include gochujang in their traditional cuisines.

Historical recipes

Gochujang ingredients reported in Jeungbo sallim gyeongje were 18 L of powdered and sieved meju (fermented soybeans), 540 mL of chili powder, and 1.8 liters of glutinous rice flour, as well as soup soy sauce for adjusting the consistency. The gochujang recipe in Gyuhap chongseo, an 1809 cookbook, uses powdered meju made from 18 L of soybeans and 3.6 L of glutinous rice, then adding 900-1260 mL of chili powder and bap made from 3.6 L of glutinous rice.

Ingredients

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Kimchi_jar.JPG" caption="Traditional jars used for fermenting gochujang"] ::

Gochujang's primary ingredients are red chili powder (), glutinous rice powder, powdered fermented soybeans, and salt. Korean chili peppers, of the species Capsicum annuum, are spicy yet sweet, making them ideal for gochujang production. Gochujang is typically made from 25% red pepper powder, 22.2% glutinous rice, 5.5% meju powder (60% cooked soybeans and 40% non-glutinous rice), 12.8% salt, 5% malt, and 29% water.

Other recipes use glutinous rice (), normal short-grain rice (), or barley. Less common additions include whole wheat kernels, jujubes, pumpkin, and sweet potato. A small amount of sweetener, such as sugar, syrup, or honey, is also sometimes added. The finished product is a dark red paste, with a rich, piquant flavor.

The making of gochujang at home began tapering off when commercial production came into the mass market in the early 1970s. Now, most Koreans purchase gochujang at grocery stores or markets. It is still used extensively in Korean cooking to flavor stews (jjigae), such as in gochujang jjigae; to marinate meat, such as in gochujang bulgogi; and as a condiment for naengmyeon and bibimbap.

Gochujang is also used as a base for making other condiments, such as chogochujang () and ssamjang (). Chogochujang is a variant of gochujang made by adding vinegar and other seasonings, such as sugar and sesame seeds. It is usually used as a sauce for hoe and hoedeopbap. Similarly, ssamjang is a mixture of mainly gochujang and doenjang, with chopped onions and other spicy seasonings, and it is popular with sangchussam ().

Gochujang hot-taste unit

Gochujang hot-taste unit (GHU) is a unit of measurement for the pungency (spicy heat) of gochujang, based on the gas chromatography and the high-performance liquid chromatography of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin concentrations.

Gochujang products are assigned to one of the five levels of spiciness: Mild, Slight Hot, Medium Hot, Very Hot, and Extreme Hot. ::data[format=table]

Mild
::

Uses

Gochujang is used in various dishes such as bibimbap and tteokbokki, and in salads, stews, soups, and marinated meat dishes. Gochujang may make dishes spicier (depending on the capsaicin in the base chili), but also can make them sweeter and smokier.

Notes

References

References

1. "gochujang". [[Oxford University Press]].
2. {{Cambridge Dictionary. gochujang
3. "gochujang". [[Doosan Corporation]].
4. (2016). "Sunchang gochujang (Korean red chili paste): The unfolding of authenticity". Journal of Ethnic Foods.
5. (2015). "Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste): A Korean ethnic sauce, its role and history". Journal of Ethnic Foods.
6. (2015). "Guide to Korean Culture: Korea's cultural heritage". [[Korean Culture and Information Service]], [[Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (South Korea).
7. Park, Jae Bok. (Spring 1999). "Red Pepper and Kimchi in Korea". [[Chile Pepper Institute]] Newsletter.
8. (2012). "Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Pickles & Relishes". Bookmagic.
9. (2004). "Handbook of Vegetable Preservation and Processing". [[Marcel Dekker]].
10. {{cite wikisource. Sugwang. Yi. 지봉유설(芝峯類說)]]''
11. Hong, Manseon. "Sallim gyeongje".
12. "Focus".
13. (1940). "Somun saseol".
14. (1766). "Jeungbo sallim gyeongje".
15. Yi, Bingheogak. (1809). "Gyuhap chongseo".
16. Shurtleff, William. (2021). "History of Koji - Grains and/or Soybeans Enrobed in a Mold Culture (300 BCE to 2021) Extensively Annotated Bibliography and Sourcebook". Soyinfo Center.
17. (March 2015). "Korean traditional fermented soybean products: Jang". Journal of Ethnic Foods.
18. National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service. (September 2016). "Jeontong sikpum pyojun gyugyeok". [[Korean Agency for Technology and Standards]].
19. "Gochujang (Hot Pepper Paste)". [[VisitKorea.or.kr]].org.

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