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“Chili powder versus Red Pepper Powder or flakes”

  • 4 posts
  • started 2 years ago by Viking

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  1. Viking Cold Country Canada My profile page
    • Aggie
    • 1 posts
    • joined December 21, 2009

    I was looking at the video Maangchi has up on making KimChi and a viewer had asked a question on the suitability of Chili powder as a substitute for Red Pepper Powder or Flakes. I can answer that question. Absolutely not.

    Chili powder is a mix of many different spices, and is not even similar to Red Pepper flakes. The closest thing we have in North America would be crushed chilis, which would then have to be ground into powder (or Cayenne Pepper) and either of these would lose a pungency that exists in the Red Pepper Flakes or Powder of Korean variety. Both ground crushed chilis and cayenne pepper make a reasonable substitute if the proper flakes/powder are not available, but both flavour and the red color would suffer. I hope this helps someone to not ruin a batch of KimChi with Chili Powder.

    The Viking

    Oh, by the way. Excellent video and excellent recipe for KimChi, Maangchi, but you knew that, right?

    • Posted 2 years ago
  2. Maangchi New York City My profile page
    • Dumok
    • 769 posts
    • joined August 6, 2008

    Thank you very much! I will refer this page if I'm asked the same question by someone else again. Love you! Happy Holidays!

    • Posted 2 years ago
  3. sirdanilot Terneuzen, The Netherlands My profile page
    • Yorizzang
    • 41 posts
    • joined October 8, 2009

    I would like to add to this. There are several kinds of chili powder: there's mexican or Indian style which indeed has other herbs mixed in, but I have also seen 'pure' chili powder with no other spices. One can easily check this on the package. If you cannot read the ingredients, don't buy it (at least not for kimchi).

    I have made Kimchi with this pure kind of chili powder before, and the result was fine. I cannot say that it's the same as korean chili pepper (it is not coarse, lacks a more deep, subtle flavor, and it's way more spicy so you cannot add as much) but if it's your only option to make kimchi it surely is worth it. It can be found easily in any asian kind of store, or even the spices and herbs section of your supermarket.

    • Posted 2 years ago
  4. ChefKibby Flagstaff, AZ My profile page
    • Aggie
    • 1 posts
    • joined March 9, 2010

    I have made numerious batches of Maangchi's kimchi. And this is what i have learned about adding heat to the kimchi.
    First batch i added 4 cups of cheyenne (sp?) pepper becuase i didnt have hot pepper powder. And this turned out VERY VERY hot. At the edge of unedible.
    SECOND i bought hot pepper powder ( may have bought the wrong one) and added 5 cups and this was VERY VERY mild.(No heat at all) So i got to thinking that i may be able to use crushed hot pepper (like what they give you to put on pizza)instead of pepper powder. But i knew that if i didn't use powder it would not have the Red color that it is supposed to have. So here is what i use and it works great for me. BUT this does have ALOT of heat to it. You could adjust it as you see fit.

    3/4c hot pepper powder (the type the recipe calls for )
    3/4c Cheyenne powder
    3/4c Crushed chili pepper

    Follow the rest of the recipe as noted.
    I hope this helps!
    BTW HUGE fan Maangchi!

    • Posted 1 year ago

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