Does anybody use kochujang in their kimchi?

Home Forums Korean food discussion Does anybody use kochujang in their kimchi?

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    • #50282
      ryanct203
      Member

      This is something I’ve always been curious about. Frequently, when I go to Korean restaurants, when the banchan comes out, they serve a napa cabbage kimchi or radish (gakdugi) kimchi that seems to have a generous amount of kochujang in it. I am thinking it is some kind of mak kimchi or instant kimchi. It has always been my favorite. Whenever I would make kimchi at home following traditional recipes, they would never come out with the flavor or the color of the kimchi that I would eat at the restaurants. That is, until I starting adding a few tablespoons of kochujang to my kimchi paste before I added it to either the cabbage, radish or cucumber. When I did this, I achieved the flavor color and heat I was looking for. I guess I’m wondering, ‘Is this kimchi sacrilege?’. I know every family in Korea has their own variation on kimchi and so does every region. Or is this just a concoction that the restaurants came up with recently to make kimchi more quickly? Just curious to see if anyone else does this or has heard of it. Not too many of the recipes that I find for kimchi online ever use kochujang, but now if I don’t use it, it just doesn’t taste right to me. Of course, I happen to prefer my kimchi on the fresher side, not too aged and sour or thin. Thoughts anyone?

      ryan :)

    • #54996
      Reinier
      Member

      Hi Ryan, i’ll add some when i make Kimchi next time. A few tablespoons you say? Should i leave out some gochugaro not to make it like an inferno so hot?

    • #54997
      tastingkorea
      Participant

      I think you have confused the red pepper flake paste with kochujang. Kochujang is never used when making kimchi.

    • #54998
      delyaa
      Participant

      My grandmother always left her kimchi outside by the back door for a few days before refrigerating it. And kimchi jigae is a perfect use for over fermented kimchi. Also, try frying up some kimchi with thin sheets of seaweed. Amazingly tasty and super simple. Even better – pork belly & kimchi stir frybuy levitra online or just bet on sports

    • #54999
      mokpochica
      Participant

      I think you are talking about geotjeori. You should be able to find recipes for it online. It is kind of an instant kimchi–like maangchi’s emergency kimchi that is made with cabbage instead of napa cabbage.

    • #55000
      tastingkorea
      Participant

      Kochujang is not really used for kimchi as it is a much less concentrated concoction of red pepper than flakes are, so it is less economical as a seasoning. Also, it contains fermented soybean powder which makes it oily, so it does not stick well to cabbage or other vegetables used for kimchi.

      Geotjeori or 겉절이 refers to vegetables that are pickled right before eating. This dish also uses red pepper flakes as gochujang is not really great for pickling.

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