Gochu jang (pepper paste) 고 추 장

The biggest challenge in cooking different ethnic cuisines is unfamiliar ingredients and spices.  This is Korean Cuisine 101, detailed expanations of korean veggies, spices, herbs and other ingredients.

Gochu jang (pepper paste)  고추장

Gochu jang is a very importan ingredient  because this fermented pepper paste is unique to korea only.  which mean that it can not be substituted.  it is made from the korean red chili, dried and then finely ground.  when i lived in Colorado Springs my mom worked us like slaves to pick these peppers in Pueblo.  it was one of those "u pick" and pay by the pounds.  she would dry these peppers on our yup you guessed it.... garage and drive way inside the Peterson Air Force Base.  after they were sufficiently dry she would take them somewhere and get them ground into coarse and fine fakes.  
The important ingredient in making homemade gochu jang is gochu garu (pepper flakes)  and the rest of it is made from sweet sticky rice, soy bean powder and salt and lots and lots of time to ferment.  i have 7 year old homemade gochujang sitting my house and it is delicious!  see recipe for gochu jang.

Posted in: korean cuisine 101