Buying hot pepper paste online
Check out the selection of hot pepper paste (gochujang) on Weee!
This fermented staple ingredient adds spiciness, color, and sweetness to many Korean dishes. It’s sometimes labeled as “red pepper paste” in English on the package. Most people buy it in a Korean grocery store, but in Korea it was traditionally homemade (my recipe is here). Homemade gochujang has a rich complex flavor that’s much deeper than store-bought.
Keep in the fridge after opening and use within 3 months. The top of the paste may become darker or dry out, but it’s still edible.
Hi Maangchi, I’ve just bought some red pepper paste but it tastes awful, it says brown rice red pepper paste on the package, did I buy the right gochujang or does the others taste the same?
Hi Maangchi! It’s been a while since I posted here. Recently saw there is a vinegared hot pepper paste in bottle form. Is there any difference with the usual one? Can this vinegared version used for bibimbap too? Thanks in advance!
The vinegared hot pepper paste is different than regular gochujang. It’s best for dipping for fresh seafood or for making hoedeopbap: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/hoedeopbap
i just want to know that chili paste mean gochujang sauce in bibimbap right ? it is same ? tqvm
yes, this hot pepper paste is used in bibimbap. Good luck!
Hi presently in Japan, and want to know what i should ask for if i want to buy hot pepper paste…help please//
Find a Korean grocery store and ask for “Gochujang”, please.
Hello Maangchi! I must say I love your recipes very much^^ I would like to make ddeokbokki but the Asian store in my city only has one type of gochujang, which contains sprite. Is it possible to find gochjang (online) without the ingredient sprite? Also, how do you store gochujang?
Thanks, and please keep up the lovely videos :)
Hi I wanted to know if there is any option to get the hot pepper paste -not hot at all?
I love hot pepper but my man doesn’t .. He can not even tolerate even black pepper .
I need help!
And thank you for doing such a great job for all of us :)
I love the smell of gochujang!!!
do Red Chili Paste are available in Malaysia ???
yes, it’s available in Malaysia. Check out a list of Korean grocery stores in Malaysia, please. https://www.maangchi.com/shopping/malaysia Happy cooking!
Hi, I’m from Sri Lanka.. someone please let me know is there any way for me to buy these korean food ingredients in Sri Lanka?
Hi,
I found 2 Korean grocery stores in Sri Lanka through Korean website, but I found only their phone numbers. Please call the stores to ask the address please.
1. K mart: 2507202
2. IL-Mi Super (일미슈퍼): 5766434
Hi,
i currently live in Mexico. I dont think i could find certain ingredients here. Is there any website to order from? Just so you know i just found this website and i love it thnkyou.
hiya,
i would really like to try making korean dishes..but i dont know where i can find the ingredients like the hot pepper paste here in India..i checked out the list of grocery stores in India,but they’re all located in New Delhi..Do you know where i can find the above in Bangalore??…would really appreciate it!!
Hi!
I recently found out that I am allergic to wheat, and my soybean paste and gochujang all have wheat flour in them :((. Do you know of any paste brands that don’t use wheat flour?
I love all your recipes, and want to be able to continue to eat delicious Korean food!
Thanks in advance!!!
I don’t know the answer, but you can ask on the forum:
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/general-discussion
or if you have time you can make your own gochujang. This is the good time of the year to start, and you can make it without wheat flour. I use sweet rice flour. https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/gochujang
Hi..
can i use this red pepper paste to make kimchi?
thx
I use hot pepper flakes to make kimchi. But some of my readers used gochujang and they said it was delicious, but i ever tried it myself.
Hi Maangchi, Which brand is your favorite or would you recommend? Thank you!
I don’t have any particular brand that I prefer for hot pepper paste. All brands sold at a Korean grocery store are good. During my Gapshida trip, me and my meetup organizers went to a local grocery store to buy gochujang. No matter which brand I used, in any country, all the dishes turned out great.
gosh, if in this case the one that i have is inedible!
my cousin’s ex-housemate was a Korean gal and she left a box of gochujang in the refrigerato. my cousin dunno how to use and she gives it to me, but when i open, it’s black color!!!
” when i open, it’s black color!” Get rid of it. : )
Omg you just answered my question it’s not good if it’s black then!! ahhhh now i know why it didn’t taste good lol Thank you.
When it’s black is it maybe more spicy and fishy?? can it be possible ??
Is there any way I can make my own gochujang?
yes, you can. I recently made my gochujang with one of my readers Jamie in New Zealand. Check this out. https://www.maangchi.com/blog/going-to-rotorua
The recipe will be posted in a few months. I hope it turns out good so that all of those who are interested in making homemade gochjuang can follow the directions.
can’t wait for it….. hehehe…
i had a tub of expired gochujang but it wasnt opened yet, expiration date was aug 19, 2011, can i still use it or should i throw it away…i really like to make the ddeobokki and it need this paste and there is no store here that i can buy the gochujang. What is the color of unexpired gochujang, is it same with hoisin sauce and it seems like it taste the same???
I think it will be ok to use it. Gochujang (hot pepper paste) should be red.
Hi Maangchi,
I went to a korean restaurant recently and I ordered bibimbap. They served this with hot sauce and I loved it. I know the hot sauce was made with hot pepper paste, but I’m pretty sure there was something else in it too. Could you please give me the recipe for this korean hot sauce.
Thanks,
CoCo:)
That’s pretty easy.
I mentioned this before on my website, but sometimes gochujang is too thick so restaurants will thin it out with Sprite. So just add some Sprite to your gochujang and put it in a squeeze bottle.
Thank you so much for posting these pictures.
I was looking for the hot pepper paste in the Asian Market by my house, and I used these pictures as a reference, but I couldn’t find it. Then I realized they sold it in a small bottle (similar to ketchup), and in fine print it said Hot Pepper Paste. So if you guys can’t find i right away, or the workers don’t know where or what it is, don’t give up hope!
I don’t know how all stores shelf their products but our store had the hot pepper paste next to the soy sauces.
Thank you for sharing the good tip with us!
When I was in Korea I visited Seoil farms – they make all their own gochujang and doenjang in huge onggi in the traditional way. They store it for years and sell it in miniature onggi for the public (I bought some to take home to NZ). The taste is incredible – it has a depth of flavor you just can’t find in store bought gochujang – it was almost a fruity flavor. If you visit Korea I definitely recommend trying it.
I know what you mean! Yes, deep and slightly sour fruity flavor. Delicious!
the one i bought taste like ketchup. is it suppose to be be that way?! i was a little disappointed =(
oops! I think you bought wrong one.
It sounds like it’s chojang. (mixture of vinegar and hot pepper paste). You can add it to hoedeopbap. In my hoedeopbap recipe, chojang recipe is posted, but you can use the one you bought instead. https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/hwedupbap
I usually use chojang as dipping sauce for raw fish.
I bought the one in the first picture but it tasted like ketchup and wasn’t spicy at all for me. So how do the others rate in terms of heat and flavor? Yes, I could buy each to try until I find one I like, but my family’s finances are a bit tight for that.
Does the pepper paste, black bean paste, and soy paste ever expire in the fridge?
I don’t have an official answer, but I’ve had both hot pepper paste and soy bean paste in my fridge for almost a year now, and they’re just fine!
Is it possible to just use the Korean chilli powder instead of Chilli paste in some of your dishes? Would it still taste as good?
Hi! Is it possible for you to post up the translated list of ingredients in the Gochujang? I found it & wanted to buy it at the local korean grocery mart but the ingredient list was in korean. Was wondering if gochujang contains alchohol or any ingredients of animal origin?
Gochujang is vegan (No animal products) and alcohol free.
The grocery store I go to has English ingredient labels stuck onto all the packages, so I can tell you what’s in it:
Wheat flour
Corn Syrup
Red Pepper Powder
Salt
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
Glutinous (sweet) rice
Sugar
Rice Flour
If you’re worried about MSG, you can probably try to look online for gochujang that doesn’t have it and order it, but it’s hard to find in stores.
unfortunately, i found out today that not all gochujang brands are vegan. my mother gave me one specially packaged for korean air and i noticed the ingredients were in english and included dried pollack extract and mixed seafood extract powder. so if you are a strict vegan, ask someone to be sure.