Gochujang Paste
Gochujang entered into the American culinary vocabulary over the last decade. This powerfully-flavored chile paste—sweet, smoky, hot, and acidic—has been part of Korea’s food culture for 500 years or so.
We used gochugaru, our Korean Chile Flakes, as the base for this paste. It has a bright, mid-level heat with a robust berry essence and a bit of smoke lingering at the bottom of its flavor profile, which we boosted with some Smoked Mesquite Salt.
Use this powerfully flavored paste as a building block for umami-laden dishes like our Korean Chicken Wings, full of smoke and tartness and a little bit of chile pepper sizzle. Make it a meal with Oi Muchim, our spicy Korean Cucumber Salad, and a frosty beer or a tall, icy glass of lemonade.
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup Korean Chile Flakes (Gochugaru)
- 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 Tablespoon mirin or sake
- 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Mesquite Salt
1. Bring water to a simmer
2. Add all ingredients and stir until a thick paste forms
