Gochugaru
Gochugaru is a coarse Korean red chile flake made from sun-dried peppers, prized for its fruity, slightly smoky heat and relatively moderate spiciness, central to Korean cooking.
How to buy
Look for a vivid, deep red color; a dull brownish-red suggests age or lower quality. Check the coarseness level needed for your dish, since coarse flakes are typical for kimchi while a finer grind works better in sauces, and note whether the package is labeled mild or hot, since heat varies by brand and growing region.
How to store
Refrigerate or freeze it in an airtight container to preserve its color and heat, since its oils degrade faster at room temperature. Pantry storage works for shorter stretches, but refrigeration extends its vibrancy for up to a year or more.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Fruity, slightly smoky, and only moderately hot compared to many other chile powders, with a natural sweetness underneath the heat.
- Texture
- A coarse, flaky texture, unlike the fine powder of many other ground chiles, giving kimchi and sauces visible texture and bite.
- Aroma
- A bright, slightly smoky, faintly sweet chile aroma, less sharp and acrid than many other dried chile powders.
How to prepare
- Mixed into a paste — Combined with garlic, ginger, and fish sauce for kimchi seasoning paste.
- Bloomed in oil — Stirred into warm oil to make a red chile oil base for soups and sauces.
- Mixed into marinades — Blended into gochujang-based or soy-based marinades for extra color and heat.
- Sprinkled as a finisher — Dusted directly onto banchan and soups just before serving.
Classic dishes
Korean
- Baechu kimchi — Fermented cabbage seasoned with a thick gochugaru paste for its signature red color and heat.
- Kkakdugi — Cubed radish kimchi coated in a gochugaru-based seasoning paste.
- Tteokbokki — Chewy rice cakes simmered in a spicy sauce built on gochugaru and gochujang.
- Kimchi jjigae — A spicy kimchi stew whose broth gets extra heat and color from gochugaru.
- Sundubu jjigae — A spicy soft tofu stew seasoned with gochugaru and often gochujang.
- Buldak — Extremely spicy fire chicken seasoned heavily with gochugaru and chile paste.
- Jjamppong — A spicy seafood noodle soup whose fiery red broth comes from gochugaru.
- Yukgaejang — A spicy shredded beef soup seasoned with gochugaru-infused chile oil.
- Dakgalbi — Spicy stir-fried chicken and vegetables coated in a gochugaru-based sauce.
- Kimchi fried rice — Fried rice studded with kimchi and finished with a touch of gochugaru for extra heat.
- Oi muchim — A spicy, quick-pickled cucumber salad seasoned with gochugaru.
- Bibim guksu — Spicy cold noodles tossed in a gochugaru and gochujang-based sauce.
- Gochugaru-marinated bulgogi — A spicy variation of marinated grilled beef seasoned with gochugaru.
- Gochugaru chili oil — Oil infused with gochugaru, used as a condiment for banchan and noodle dishes.
- Nakji bokkeum — Spicy stir-fried octopus coated in a fiery gochugaru-based sauce.