Gochugaru
๊ณ ์ถง๊ฐ๋ฃจgo-chut-ga-ru
Sun-dried Korean chili flakes
Gochugaru is ground dried red chili โ the bright red flakes that give kimchi its color. It is fruitier, sweeter and a little smokier than most chili flakes, and usually milder than cayenne.
- Korean name
- ๊ณ ์ถง๊ฐ๋ฃจ (go-chut-ga-ru)
- What it is
- Sun-dried Korean chili flakes
- Storage
- Keep it airtight in the freezer or refrigerator.
- Substitute
- Aleppo pepper is the closest.
- Recipes
- Used in 96 recipes on coo K food
Coarse and fine
Coarse flakes are the all-purpose kind, used for kimchi, seasoned salads (muchim) and stews. Fine powder is used when you want smooth color โ in gochujang, some sauces and kimchi for a cleaner look. Recipes here say "fine gochugaru" when it matters.
The best gochugaru is made from chilies dried in the sun (taeyangcho) rather than in machines, with most of the seeds removed. It is sold in mild and spicy (maeun) versions.
How it is used
Gochugaru goes into kimchi paste, spicy soups such as yukgaejang and kimchi-jjigae, cucumber and radish muchim, dipping sauces and homemade chili oil. Briefly warming it in oil before adding other ingredients brings out its color and aroma. Because it adds heat and color without salt, many low-sodium recipes in this collection use it to replace part of the gochujang.
๐ง How to store it
Keep it airtight in the freezer or refrigerator. At room temperature it fades from red to brown, goes stale and can develop mold.
๐ Substitutes
Aleppo pepper is the closest. Otherwise mix 2 parts sweet paprika with 1 part cayenne. Crushed red pepper flakes are hotter and contain seeds, so use about half as much.
๐ Where to buy
Look for it at Korean or pan-Asian grocery stores such as H Mart, or order it online โ it keeps well, so it is easy to stock up.
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