Korean Spices and Condiments To Always Have in Your Kitchen
Each nation’s cuisine has its own characteristic that can be found in the vast majority of its dishes, and this taste of Korea is often made up of traditional spices that not all foreigners know. You can hardly taste the spicy, rich, and mildly sour flavors in representative Korean dishes without these traditional spices and condiments. Many foreigners think that Korean food is spicy because of its red color. However, besides spices like chili powder, Koreans use various types of spices and condiments to make delicious dishes. If you love Korean food and want to learn how to cook original Korean dishes, you should know the most popular Korean spices and condiments. In this article, let’s take a look at Korean spices and condiments that are commonly used in Korean cuisine.
- Ganjang (soy sauce) 간장
Ganjang is a type of Korean soy sauce. It is such a common condiment that you can find this sauce in all Korean homes. It is used to adjust the taste of the dishes as a substitute for salt. Apart from the salty taste, you can also feel light and unique sweetness. There are two main types of ganjang that Koreans often use: Jinganjang (진간장) has a sweet and quite salty taste so it is used to fry dishes or as a dipping sauce for many Korean foods. The other popular type is gukganjang (국간장), which is often used in Korean soups. It is an important part that completes the deep brothy flavor of Korean soups and stews.
2. Gochugaru (dried chili powder) 고춧가루
If you’ve ever eaten kimchi, then you will probably be familiar with this spice. Gochugaru or chili powder is a special Korean chili powder. It is dried chili that is ground into a fine powder or ground into small pieces. Unlike the other types of chili powder, gochugaru has its own special taste. Korean chili, besides being spicy, has a mildly sweet taste, often used to flavor all kinds of kimchi and as an ingredient for many sauces. Sometimes, people who like spicy foods also like to add this chili powder to many other dishes such as instant noodles, vermicelli, rice cakes, etc.
3. Doenjang (fermented soybean paste) 된장
If you are a fan of old-style Korean dramas, you will probably see big jars of doenjang in the houses of many Koreans. It is a sauce made by fermenting soybean meju in saltwater. The fermented brine is filtered through a sieve, boiled, and cooled to become soy sauce. Soybean is a food that is decomposed by fungi when fermented so that nutrients are better absorbed. Doenjang is an indispensable Korean sauce in one of the most popular Korean soups, doenjang jjigae or fermented soybean soup. It has a dark yellow color and a strong smell so many foreigners may be “terrified” when they first try doenjang jjigae. However, when they get used to the taste of doenjang, they will find it very satisfying. Korean people, especially the elderly, love to put doenjang in soups because they believe that besides adding the taste, it’s good for digestion. It is also used to make a dipping sauce for vegetables and meat. Moreover, doenjang is very useful in deodorizing pork or fish smell.
4. Gochujang (hot chili paste) 고추장
Gochujang or red chili paste is what gives the typical spicy taste in most Korean dishes, from fried rice, kimchi, rice cakes, fried vermicelli to fried chicken. Gochujang is made from ground chili, sugar, glutinous rice, and some meju (fermented soybeans) so it has a rich flavor. Gochujang chili sauce is less spicy than chili powder, sweeter, and more aromatic. This paste is not only popular in Korea but it is also very famous in other countries. It is suitable for marinating meat or as a type of sauce for bibimbap and pasta. Gochujang is often used in soups and sauces such as kimchi soup, tteokbokki sauce, kimchi making, etc. Gochujang is also used to make ssamjang, a type of Korean BBQ sauce. This sauce is made by using two main ingredients being gochujang and doenjang.
5. Dajin maneul (minced garlic) 다진 마늘
Garlic is undeniably one of the most popular ingredients in Korean cuisine. It is even one of the most consumed foods by Koreans in the world. Korean people put a lot of garlic in their dishes while cooking, so usually they will grind a large amount of garlic in one go and store it in the freezer. They often use a food grinder and store the minced garlic in zip lock bags for convenience. Then each time they want to use it, they can just take it out and not having to waste too much time cutting it by knife.
6. ChamKkae (sesame seeds) 참깨
Sesame is not the most important ingredient in the cooking process, but if you often eat Korean food, you have probably realized that it appears very often in Korean dishes. It can be said that sesame seeds contribute to one of the defining characteristics of Korean food. We have seen Korean dishes that are sprinkled with sesame so much that whenever you see a little bit of sesame, you will unconsciously think of Korean food. Sesame seeds on each dish help to enhance the flavor of the dish and richen its taste. It also helps to neutralize too spicy or too salty dishes.
7. Chamgireum (sesame oil) 참기름
Sesame oil is an important condiment in Korean cuisine. It is a type of oil made from sesame. Although it has quite a strong smell, sesame oil has many benefits to our health. Sesame oil not only helps to richen the taste of the dishes but it can also increase the nutritional benefits. This condiment is loved by Koreans since it has various advantages. In addition, in sesame oil, there is a higher content of zinc and calcium compared to other oils. These two are essential for bone growth and the prevention of related diseases. Please note that you should buy sesame oil that has been recently produced and store it in the refrigerator.
8. Shikcho (korean vinegar) 식초
It is said that every family should have a bottle of vinegar in their kitchen cupboard since vinegar is a representative seasoning that produces a sour taste, and adds freshness to various dishes by using its characteristic sour taste and aroma. In Korea, vinegar is also put into numerous dishes. Types of vinegar commonly used in Korean cuisine are black vinegar, rice vinegar, and red vinegar. Some side dishes often found in Korean meals such as radish, cucumber, etc. are all soaked in vinegar. It is also combined with ganjang and gochujang to make a wide range of Korean side dishes. Besides popular types of vinegar, Koreans also love to use vinegar made from fruits like apple vinegar.
