{"id":6424,"date":"2016-02-13T19:54:15","date_gmt":"2016-02-14T03:54:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kimchimari.com\/?p=6424"},"modified":"2023-10-01T16:22:43","modified_gmt":"2023-10-01T23:22:43","slug":"how-to-make-gochujang-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kimchimari.com\/how-to-make-gochujang-at-home\/","title":{"rendered":"How to make Gochujang at home!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This is how Korean moms make Gochujang at home every year in spring. This is a very authentic and traditional way to make Korean chili paste! If you have the ingredients and some time, this somewhat long process is totally worth it!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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Korean Gochujang in glazed clay vessel (hangari\/onggi) – After 2 days –<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

What is Gochujang? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gochujang is a Fermented chili paste and NOT a sauce.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yes, Gochujang is NOT a sauce ladies and gentlemen. The one you add on Bibimbap <\/strong>IS<\/strong> <\/em>a gochujang sauce<\/strong> because the Gochujang paste is mixed with vinegar, sugar, water and any additional seasoning to make a sweet gochujang sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gochujang is a fermented red chili paste that Koreans love to add to sauces, marinades, stews, soups.. just about on everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you asked me 5 years ago, whether I make my own Gochujang, my response would have been something like – “No…..I don’t do that…that’s too much work.. oh, only our mothers did that.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But here we are, in my 6th year of blogging; I have already attended two Gochujang making classes (in Korea last February) so that I could make it at home this year. During my recent stay in Korea, I got to taste some great homemade gochujang and deonjang and I realized store bought gochujang and homemade gochujang is just not the same. In addition, I have also discovered that not all gochujang sold at stores are the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KNOW what’s in your Gochujang!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Did you know that often a not-so-good gochujang has corn syrup, starch syrup and even hydrolyzed vegetable protein as part of their ingredients??? A respectable gochujang should only have chili pepper powder (gochukaru), fermented soy bean powder (mejukaru), sweet rice\/rice\/brown rice\/barley\/wheat flour, rice syrup, malt barley syrup or powder and salt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And even if it has corn syrup, at least don’t buy one that has corn syrup as it’s first ingredient. I mean..imagine.. how much corn syrup that is!! Sometimes some alcohol is added to stop the fermentation process but that’s it. So please select your gochujang carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Korea, there are many great quality gochujang in the market but sadly almost none of them are sold in the US… or outside of Korea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can make Gochujang only at certain times of the year!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gochujang is typically made in the colder winter months between the end of November to February in Korea. It is because the 4~6 month fermentation needs to occur in FULL SUN but BEFORE the very hot and rainy summer starts in Korea. For California, I thought February would be a great time since by then hopefully rain is getting lighter and there are more sunny days. So when I was getting ready to move back to the US in 2014, I bought and shipped Korean gochukaru (\uace0\ucd94\uac00\ub8e8 red chili powder), mejukaru (\uba54\uc8fc\uac00\ub8e8 fermented soybean powder) and cheonilyeom (\ucc9c\uc77c\uc5fc solar sea salt) via sea with our moving stuff so I could make it in CA. And most importantly, I also purchased a Korean hangari\/onggi vessel where I could ferment the gochujang in. This particular vessel was made by one of the few remaining Korean artisans who is deemed by the government to be part of Korean’s national heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Korean Glazed Onggi or Hangari pot for fermentation of gochujang<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

I had hoped to make it last Spring but because our shipment got stuck at sea for 3 months – due to some labor strike at the LA ports – when we got everything it was already too warm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BTW, My husband just shook his head when I told him I had shipped these things last year so I could make gochujang this year, he said “you are just a little crazy.. ;)” HAHA…AM I?? Maybe.. I mean, I guess I have to be a little crazy<\/em> about Korean food and about blogging to be doing this for over 5 years!?! Right??? \ud83d\ude42 \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Invite a friend to your Gochujang making party!!<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Whenever you are planning to cook something that takes many hours, I always say – Invite a friend! <\/em>That way you have company during the wait times and you have another set of hands which is especially handy for a blogger who sometimes wishes she had 3 hands!! And in my particular case, I also had another brain with great wisdom and tips when I needed it!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For my gochujang making day, I invited my friend Judith. Since the very beginning of my blog, Judith has been my #1 follower with always the most wonderful comments and questions. Over the years we started conversing through emails and when we found out that we both live in the SF Bay area, we had to meet. And we have become total foodie friends since then. BTW, I will write more on another post about our first meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But going back to gochujang, I am so happy that she joined me for the day – I mean I never thought I would meet someone who was as excited as me about making the very uniquely aromatic but amazing gochujang at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Difference between fine and coarse gochugaru (Korean red chili powder):<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I meant to write about this long ago but well, better late than never!<\/p>\n\n\n\n