Maangchi's Amazon picks for hot pepper paste
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.
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 just found a tub of gochujang which I bought a few months ago, but it has expired (dec 2009). My question is, is it still ok to use it especially since it hasn’t been opened yet? Thanks!
Hi Maangchi,
I wanted to make the kimchi soup, so I went to the supermarket to buy the Red Pepper Paste. However. I found there are two types of paste, one is with the vinegar and one is without. Which type shall I buy? What can I make if I buy the vinegar red pepper paste? In the end I didn’y buy any cause I have some doubts about it. Kindly advise me. Thank you.
Get hot pepper paste without vinegar.
https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/hot-pepper-paste-gochujang
You can make hot pepper paste with vinegar with hot pepper paste. The recipe is posted on my hoedupbap recipe. It’s called “chojang”
https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/hwedupbap
Hi :) im just wondering how to make the spicy pork that i see in many of the triange kimbap. Do you use hot pepper paste with it? I couldnt find any websites on how to make it.. hehe thanks
yes, you could add hot pepper paste to the filling for samgak kimbap.
Hi Maangchi,
Do you have to keep gochujang in the fridge once you open it? and for doenjang? and jjajang?
Thanks,
Van
Yes, I keep my gochujang in the refrigerator after I open it.
Hi Maangchi,
I’m Nunoo from Malaysia. I would like to know how do you make Chilli Paste. At my place its very hard to buy korean Chilli paste.
Anyway, keep on posting a great korean recipes!
Thanks,
Nunoo
:)
Someday I will show you how to make gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste). Thank you!
my hot pepper powder arrives from hmart.com tomorrow.. i guess it would be possible to make red pepper paste from the powder without having to but and keep both on hand?
i’d like to know how to make hot pepper paste…i couldnt find korean hot pepper paste in malaysia. so i guess maybe i can make my own if u show me how :)they maybe are there in korean store in ampang (havent been there yet)but im not sure whether its halal or not.
Maangchi,
I wanted to see if you know how to make gochujang from scratch? I would like to make it myself rather than having to buy it. My Imo always made her own and it was even better than store bought gochujang. She actually made a lot of her ingredients from scratch. She came from old country and grew up on a farm with no power. I have learned something things from her but since she is gone I am learning more from you. :-)I need to actually buy your books too.
Thank you very much,
진심으로 감사합니다
Hi, I live i Singapore, I can’t find a place which sells the hot pepper paste. I really love your recies and I tried doing the kimbap and it’s so successful! Thanks!
Hi Jean! im from Singapore too! and i just bought my first hot pepper paste today! you can get them at SOL korean grocery mart..they have branches at cathay cineleisure B1, tampines 1 mall and novena square.
They are sold in boxes similar to those shown in the pics. S$9 for a box of 500g. They also have korean rice cakes and red pepper powder and kimchi!
Go get it soon!
Hi Maangchi.
I really love your blog.
Korean food is one of my favorite,
could you please tell me a good brand for gochujang and jiganjang.
Also,do you guys usually use jiganjang on stir fried?
Many thanks.
best wishes,
Nathalie
do you refrigerate the paster after you open it or can it stay outside? Thank you (^_^)
yes, I keep it in the refrigerator after opening it.
I live in The Netherlands and it’s very hard to find hot pepper paste. Is there a substitute for it? I want to make dduk bok gee, but can I use a different kind of paste? For example, is it okay if I use cayenne pepper paste instead of gochujang?
Yes, there are Korean groceries there.
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/groceries-in-rotterdam-netherlands
I don’t know what cayenne pepper paste tastes like, but try it out. Why not?
The red peppers used in gochujang are one of the mildest of all peppers. According to my tastebuds, they have a richer and more earthy flavor than other hot peppers. The mildness allows for you to use a lot of it and get the rich red color common to Korean foods, yet still have it be not too spicy. Cayenne has way more heat, but not as much as, say, habanero powder. Do not use cayenne as a substitute for gochujang or Korean red pepper powder.
Agreed! Do Not use cayenne as a substitute.. I made that mistake.. YIKES!
Hi,
I accidentally bought hot bean paste instead of hot pepper paste.
can i still make Hot and Spicy rice cake?
Hi, a while ago I bought some hot red pepper paste but the verson i got is roaster and its not as liquidy i was wondering if theres a difference, if i have to mix it with anything or not?
Taeyangcho gochujang is a good brand. Thats the brand I have. It’s made by another company but it’s red in color.
Hi, I hope you can help me. I am looking for wheat free Korean products. My son is allergic to foods with wheat gluten All the gochujang I see on the shelf in my market in New York contain wheat. Is there such a store or web site you can suggest?
Edward
Would you copy and paste your question on the forum?
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/general-discussion
I hope someone else who knows the answer will give you the answer.
Hey Maangchi! Love your recipes!
I was wondering if you have ever made your own gochujang because I noticed in all the ones that I buy it has corn syrup and other bad stuff. Been trying to stay away from high fructose corn syrups these days which is a shame because I eat gochujang a lot!
Anyway, keep up the good work!
Thanks,
Jaqie
I’m copying my answer from another reader’s question and pasting it here.
Sorry, I can’t show you how to make hot pepper paste and bean paste for some reasons. First of all I don’t have tools such as a huge earthen pot and other ingredients here in New York, and I don’t have space for the pot and don’t have time to check on it everyday for 1 month. To make bean paste, it takes months and months.
However, I will keep it in mind.
Check this out
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doenjang
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gochujang
JAQIE FROM NJ,
I’m also from New Jersey! The Korean brand O’Food makes an Organic Sunchang Gochujang. Ingredients: Organic Wheat, Water, Organic Corn Syrup, Organic Red Pepper Powder, Salt, Contains 2% or less of Yeast, and Barley cultured with Aspergillus Oryzae (Koji). The Organic Sunchang Gochujang does have corn syrup. However, my research shows that it is High Fructose Corn Syrup from which you should stay away. Corn syrup in very very small doses is not detrimental to your health. I went through my kitchen and the only products with corn syrup were ketchup and salad dressing, both of which I eat very little. Half a tablespoon of gochujang in one cup of bimbimbap won’t hurt! The one great thing about O’Food Organic Sunchang Gochujang is that, unlike most other brands, it does not have MSG and other harmful additives. That is why I purchased this brand. The one downside is that it is more expensive. The 900 mg of Organic Sunchang Gochujang is $12.99. 1000 mg of gochujang in other brands (that contain MSG and additives) is $6.99. It’s twice the price but it’s well worth it. I don’t know where in NJ you live but this is where I bought it:
Hanahreum
518-14 Old Post Road
Edison, NJ 08817
(732) 248 – 8586
Just next door is a well known Korean restaurant.
Also 10 minutes away is a restaurant called Woojeon (http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/25/nyregion/restaurants-where-to-go-for-heat.html?pagewanted=all).
Hanahreum is a chain for supermarkets, there are 5 locations in NJ – Edison, Englewood, Little Ferry, Ridgewood, and Cherry Hill (http://snoh.wordpress.com/2007/06/25/han-ah-reum-part-1/)
I hope this helps!
Hi, I hope you can see my question. Do you mind send me the picture of the organic Sunchang Gochujang? I can’t find organic ones in H-mart. My address is maojn at hotmail . com
Thank you very much!
Maangchi,
I am planning to prepare bimbimbap and went to grocery to buy the red pepper paste or gochuyang. However, when I inquired from store personnel, they suggested I buy the ottogi bibimjang. Is this better than the gochuyang?
Just want to thank you for all your recipes and videos on youtube. I will now be cooking more Korean dishes. First one I tried was the yummy chicken wings with sweet sauce.
Keep doing what you’re doing. You’re making a lot of people happy cooking and eating.
Thank you, Eva!
I would buy hot pepper paste instead of “bibimjang”. You can make your own bibimjang with hotpepper paste! Besides, hot pepper paste is used in so many different Korean dishes.
Hi Maangchi. I was wondering. Is hot pepper paste the same as red pepper paste? Some tubs say hot pepper and others say red pepper.
Yes, they are the same. English translation of Korean food is sometimes confusing.
hi maangchi!
can you do a recipe for chungukjang? :)
thanks for everything!
sure, chunggukjang recipe will be posted later. Thanks a lot!
yes, this hot pepper paste is used for bibimbap. Thanks!
Maagchi yr blog really good. i learn a lot of things here.. many tks
tis red pepper paste i can use in bimbimbap?
hi Maangchi,
i want to make the bibibamp, is it fine if i use the hot pepper paste fermented?
thank you
hot pepper paste is already fermented food.
how do you eat this … stuff? I don’t know any dish that uses this, since I’m not korean.
Hi , this is rather urgent? can u tell me what are the ingredients for the second gochujang picture that is posted up here? thankyou so much! i love your blog
Love gochujang!! Can use it for marinating,rice cake,soup etc! yumyum~~ Thank u for the recipes n great blog n video blog u hv. :)
frm singapore
Hi, I was wondering if we could use hot chili powder or hot chili sauce?
ann,
Yes, I think you could use the chili paste, too.
hi maangchi!!! im a fan of korean dramas and it’s food…
im from singapore and about the chili paste, will it still taste the same?? i hope u can make a video of dukboki with chili paste and compare the taste with the dukboki made with hot pepper paste…very much appreciated :)
Hello Maangchi
I lived in singapore and also a muslim who is very intrested in korean dishes i was wondering if they do sell the hot pepper paste which are halal or i could use the normal asian chili paste
Do reply me thank you =)
Wouldn’t a completely-vegetarian red pepper paste automatically be halal?
Failing that, your friend could make some at home.
not if it contains alcohol :P
hi just to make sure so the taeyangcho haechandeul gochujang brand is completely vegetarian? and non-alcoholic?
yes, taeyangcho is a good brand name for hot pepper paste.
hi i replied earlier asking if it was vegetarian and non-alcoholic. i hope you can just reply me via email cos i kinda need an urgent answer since i already bought it and my friends are planning to make ddukbokki tomorrow. many thanks!
yes,it’s vegetarian food and non-alcoholic, but it’s fermented food.
Hey Maangchi, I didn’t see the recipe on how to make Dokboki. Do you have one? Thanks
Lise
My favorite brand name is haechandeul. You can discuss this topic on the forum on my website. I’m curious about it too. https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/general-discussion
What are the two brands in the images? I’m trying to find a good/the best gochujang brand that I can find, but my local Korean mart(s) have a dozen+ brands, and only a couple have any English labels (so I tend to go by ingredients, and have been using Sempio brand lately). Basically, I settled on trying to find Sunchang brand (since I’ve seen that recommended a lot) but I don’t know what the label looks like. Clearly I’m not Korean ;)
Thanks a lot for your site; super helpful and fun to read!
Wendy,
yes, as long as you have gochujang, you can mix any kinds of vegetable dish to make bibimbap. I sometimes use only gochujang, chopped kimchi, warm rice, and sesame oil. That’s very delicious!
Hi Maangchi, I went to the asian store to get my first box of gochujang yesterday. Today I’m going to make bibimbap for the very first time. I don’t have all the ingredients like you mention here, but I guess with this dish you can flexibly subsitute the vegetables, right?
Wish me luck.
yes, you can mix your rice with any of your favorite ingredients to make bibimbap! Of course I wish you good luck with making delicious bibimbap!
ii m sure its gochujang it says
Sunchang Gochujang (Hot Pepper Paste) except it everything is written on Hangul i am not able to read that
Nishu,
Is it said “gochujang”? Strange! The color of gochujang (hot pepper paste)should be red. Check the label on the box again.
hey maangtchi i bought box of (SUNCHANG GOCHUJANG) its
texture is black not red can you tell is it different?