Maangchi's Amazon picks for hot pepper flakes
It's always best to buy Korean items at your local Korean grocery store, but I know that's not always possible, so I chose some products on Amazon that are good quality. See more about how these items were chosen.
Korean hot pepper flakes are an essential ingredient in Korean cooking, used in many side dishes, soups, and stews, and in the most important Korean side dish of all, kimchi. They come in mild (deol-maewoon gochu-garu 덜매운 고춧가루) and hot (maewoon gochu-garu 매운 고춧가루) versions. For dishes like kimchi, I use the milder flakes so that I can add a lot for color without making the dish too spicy. My favorite is Bitggalchan brand from Yeongyang, Korea (it’s often sold out).
My readers often ask me if they can use chili powder or other crushed chili flakes as a substitute, but they won’t work with Korean dishes because they have a different flavor and are too spicy. Sometimes Korean hot pepper flakes may be mislabeled on the package as “powder,” but all packages will be at least partially transparent, so look inside and make sure they are coarse flakes. Beautiful bright red is best; avoid any that are purplish or brownish. When the flakes go bad, they become a yellowish-red and the flavor goes off.
After opening, store the pepper flakes in a zipper-lock plastic bag in the freezer for up to 6 months, and keep a small amount in a jar in the refrigerator for everyday use.
Deolmaewoon gochugaru
Buying hot pepper flakes can be difficult if you don’t read Korean because many Korean manufacturers will mislabel the product in English so it’s hard to know if you’re getting hot pepper flakes at all.
Take a look at the product in the package if at all possible. Hot pepper flakes are always coarse and chunky.
This one is tricky because in English it says “Red Pepper Powder,”and underneath that it says “Piment” which is French for “red pepper” or “spice,” and then there’s another label that reads “Coarse.” But this is really a bag of hot pepper flakes. You can tell by looking at the big flakes through the transparent part of package.
Red pepper powder is actually something very different. They’re a lot finer and mainly used for making gochujang, so you need to be careful of what you’re buying.
The hot pepper flakes I got figured out. My problem is what type of fresh hot peppers do I buy? I’ve been getting these ones called “Finger Peppers” because they look similar to the ones used in Korean cooking. They are green at the store and if you wait a few days they turn red. But they are crazy spicy and I cannot handle more than the tiniest piece! Is this the right pepper and I’m just (as the Japanese would say) baka gaijin?
Mama Maangchi, i forgot to buy a pack of hot pepper flakes recently.. I traveled 2 hours just to get to the Korean store in the city (i’m living in a town province). Since, i’m already at home (lol!), should i just use/buy a hot pepper powder instead? Well, i’m not really sure as sure if there’s really a hot pepper powder in the market hahaha! Maybe the hot pepper flakes and the hot pepper powder are just the same… I HOPE~! n_n sorry for my horrible english grammar.. XDD
hi ruth,whats your location here in the philippines?
hi ms.aiz i am also looking for a korean chili pepper… hope you can help me… my place is in antipolo… thanx a lot :)
yes, you can use either hot pepper flakes or hot pepper powder.
Hi Maangchi,
I have the one on the last picture… It suppose to be red,right? The one I got was blackish.. Is it still good to use in kimchi? Thanks and more power.
Bianca
I’ve tried the ones labeled “hot” but find them pretty mild as well. The best I had was a package my grandmother sent us from Korea one year, but I think it was homemade (sent over in ziplocks). Super hot and super tasty. Grandmom’s over a hundred now, so I don’t think she makes it anymore.
I have used the brand of hot pepper flakes in the bottom photo, as well as another brand that is not pictured. I use a TON of flakes in my kimchi (the maximum that Maangchi lists in her recipe, plus 1/2 cup!), yet do not find it very hot. I typically add Sriracha sauce before I eat it.
While I do love spicy food, I do not think I have abnormal tolerance for spiciness. Do you think my hot pepper flakes are expired? Do they lose their heat over time? I have heard that toasting spices in a pan before using them can restore some flavor. Would this help?
lol, you seem to love suicidal level of spiciness! Actually there are 2 types of hot pepper flakes sold at a store: mild hot pepper flakes and spicy hot pepper flakes. Mild version? You may be wondering, but ask the sales person to help you.
You can say, I want to get very very spicy hot pepper flakes!
Maewoon gochugaru (매운 고추가루): spicy hot pepper flakes
Deol Maewoon gochugaru(덜매운 고추가루): less spicy hot pepper flakes
In this page, the first photo of hot pepper flakes says, 덜매운 고추가루 which means less spicy hot pepper flakes.
Thank you! I have copied down the characters and their meanings on an index card, and I’m going to the Asian grocery tomorrow to see if I can find hot ones.
If I can’t, I will try asking the owners, who are very nice, but do not speak much English. Sometimes I think I overwhelm them when I ask questions, so I try to figure things out on my own. Thanks so much for your help!
awesome! Good luck with finding your hot pepper flakes.!
Hi Maangchi!
Do you know from which hot pepper it is?
I used the ones I have home… and even if it wasn’t much, my kimchi was really spicy!! I can’t really eat it since it’s too hot! D:
I asked my mother and it turns to be a pepper from Thailand, known to be very very very hot(named Khi Nu).
I have medium hot pepper powder too (no flakes) and I was wondering, if I can mix them… What do you think?
Please check my answer above! https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/hot-pepper-flakes#comment-22480
Hi Maangchi!
Sorry for coming so late to comment!
Thank you for your kind reply.
Next time, I’ll try a korean brand.
When I made it, it was really really spicy, almost burning my lips.
Now that my kimchi is… older(?), it tastes better.
I decided to had some vegetables little by little (like cabbage, carrot etc…). I think it might have helped to smooth the taste.
But, it’s still spicy…
I’ll try to cook it instead of eating it like this!
Thank you!
Is it possible to get This in any other places? I couldn’t start making my kimchi without this! HELP =(
You are living in Malaysia, check this out to find if you have a Korean grocery store in your area or not.
https://www.maangchi.com/shopping#Malaysia
yeah its hard for me to make kimchi…and its so hard to find this espieclly in sabah…
can i blend my dry chilis and make this?
this hot pepper looks lik the chili powder >.< but is not chili powder?
hi.. can anyone tell me where can i get hot pepper flakes in melaka, malaysia? i try to find even in jusco melaka but onli have chili powder >.< i'm in love with kimchi hope anyone can let me know
Check this out please. https://www.maangchi.com/shopping#Malaysia
Ah I should’ve looked at this before I asked my question on the boards heh.
I know what the fine powder looks like, but never noticed the larger chunks before.
My husband bought me some of the coarse powder and sure enough, it’s the correct stuff :)
Now I’ll know what to look for next time I need more :D
i like your recipe very much. i will try to make it. God bless you.. Baxia
Hi!! Just made some turnip kimchi and it came out tasty (but of course, not like my momma’s!). Unfortunately, there was an “off” taste, though. Could my pepper flakes have gone bad? I can’t read Korean, so I couldn’t find an expiration date on the bag. The bag was 2 years old, though. :o) Love Love Love your website and I refer all my friends to it via Twitter and Facebook!
hi!!:D i finish the kimchi && it looking great but it not that spicy at all, so i was wondering if i can wait till it fermenting and then add more hot pepper powder to it (the one that u use) cuz i try this different one and it not that good
If you like to add more hot pepper flakes, you will have to add it before your kimchi starts fermenting.
Hello Maangchi. im havnig alot of trouble finding the hot red pepper flakes.. so was wandering if you know what the “pepper” is called what fruit or vegetable the pepper flakes are made from ? if i knew that i could make some my self instead of using endless time on looking for the pepper flakes in shops and online stores because iv been allmost all over the place now and still cant find it >_<
thanks : )
I’m sorry to hear that you have trouble with finding hot pepper flakes that I use.
You can get it at a Korean grocery store. Where are you living? Have you checked the “where do you buy Korean ingredients” section on the forum on my website?
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/where-do-you-buy-your-korean-ingredients
hey maangchi thanks for your reply yes i have been on that thread but no luck : ( i live in denmark.. do you know what i maybe could use as an alternative for the pepper flakes ?
Maangchi: I hope I’m not asking a question already answered. Red pepper powder and hot pepper powder. Is it the same or different? Looks the same to me, but I’m not sure if there is a difference.
As long as you see the products at a Korean grocery store, I’m sure they are the same.
hi~
I wonder where can i find the hot pepper flakes?
Do they only sell them in korean market?
Yes, I always buy my hot pepper flakes at a Korean grocery store.
If you have difficulty finding a Korean store, check this section, please.
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/where-do-you-buy-your-korean-ingredients
Hi Maangchi,
I was wondering if you have any suggestions on storing hot pepper flakes? Is it better to store it in the pantry or in the fridge? I’m not Korean so, I don’t use it all the time. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Good question! I always store it in the freezer.
Hello Maangchi!
Thank you for teaching us recipes!
I tried to make kimchi, but it wen´t wrong, coz I used pepper power instead of flackes T.T
Ohh.. and it´s not easy to wash the cabbage.. if we just pour water, it won´t come clean =S
Maangchi, have you watched korean programm called “Family Outing?” they make dinner and breakfast, and few recipes look good as yours
They made potato pancake, which I tried to made, and it turn delicious!
Maybe you can find some inspiration watching the program!!
Thank you once again!
Hi Maangchi,
I’m making “Cold Spicy Celery” from the Epicurious.com website. One ingredient (the one I don’t have!) is “1/2 teaspoon Korean chile flakes.” Is the taste of Korean chile flakes different from that of the red pepper flakes you buy in an American supermarket? I’d hate to have to buy (and search for) the item as written and then have so much left over! I live in NYC so it’s not hard to find, if absolutely necessary. Please advise!
I think korean chili flakes in the recipe is the same as the hotpepper flakes that I use. Go to a Korean grocery store and get hot pepper flakes (gochu garu in Korean)
hello Maangchi, I love your website. Uhm… I’m not sure if I can find the hot pepper flakes, so I wanted to ask if it is possible to make it myself
i went out and bought crused red pepper at the korean grocery market today..is that the same thing as red pepper flakes?
yes, I think you got right hot pepper flakes as long as you bought it at a Korean grocery store. I sometimes find translation is a little awkward.
You are owesome!!!!
Hi!
I tried making “oisobagi” today, but instead i used chilli powder
and it turned out REALLY spicy.
is chilli powder really different than the korean hot pepper flakes?
or did I use too much powder?
I’ve never used chili powder, so I can’t give you right answer.
However, I’ve recently heard that chili powder is different from hot pepper flakes. Yeah, if you can’t get hot pepper flakes, use less amount of chili powder next time you make your kimchi then.
Yes that’s right. I put less than half a cup of chili powder in my kim chi and it was alredy quite spicy! While it takes like 4 cups of korean hot pepper flakes. I thought it would be my personal taste (koreans like spicy!), but I think it’s because of the ingredient.
My kimchi seems to taste pretty good so I think that it’s not really a problem. But maybe I will get in the neighbourhood of the Korean store in Rotterdam next week so I can buy the real thing.
hi maangchi,
is there a substitution for hot pepper powder? i read somwhere that cayenne pepper can be used. would that work, or would it just ruin the dish?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cayenne_pepper
It looks ok for me!
Hi Maangchi – should I use red pepper with salt or without? I saw that some came mixed with salt.
I don’t understand your question. Hot pepper flakes are just hot peppers ground. It is not supposed to be salty.
Hello maangchi, i love your site and i try the egg side dishes. now im planning to cook Ginseng chicken soup. thank you… and God Bless.
Thank you for your update! I hope you read this before making your ginseng chicken soup. If you are not accustomed to ginseng taste, I suggest using one root for each serving. 2 may be too strong for you.
mingrae0527,
Even if you use it lesser, the flavor of hot pepper flakes will not be changed.
if i happen to have bought the spicy ones what can i do to make the dish (let’s say cucumber kimchi) less spicy? if i use amount lesser would the flavor change? thank you
June,
Why not! Try it out! : )
Happy New Year!
HI Maangchi
Many thanks for your recipe. I am officially addicted to kimchi. I am thinking of making it but I cannot find hot pepper powder. I have have crushed chilli flakes. Can I use them instead?
Indri,
I think it’ll be ok unless the red chili is too spicy.
Hi Maangchi,
Instead of hot pepper flakes, can I substitute it with dried red chili? I stayed in Indonesia, we have two types of red chili, one is smaller and thinner, another is longer ones, but not as big as in western countries.
Sarah,
You can use either hot pepper flakes or hot pepper powder. I use hot pepper flakes.
Hi, haha I’m like stalking you today, all over your website ><.
What’s the difference between the flakes and powder? Besides the texture, I mean. I asked my mom and she said that if you use the powder in soups, it makes it more grainy tasting or something? But I think it makes the soup more opaque and stronger tasting than if you use flakes…? (Hopefully this question made sense).
Hi! I want to make your soon doo boo recipe. When I went to the Korean grocery store, I saw two types – the chilli flakes and the more finely ground chilli powder.
I forgot which one you use, so I told them I want to make soon doo boo. They said I should buy the chilli powder. Now I see that you’re using the flakes and not the powder. Are they the same? Or should I go back and buy the flakes?
Thank you!!