Gochujang
A fermented Korean chili paste used in stews, marinades, and condiments.
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Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation · via Wikipedia: Gochujang · KOGL Type 1
In Korean cooking, a fermented condiment known as gochujang or red chili paste is popular for its combination of savory, sweet, and spicy flavors.[1] During fermentation, saccharifying enzymes act on the starch from cooked glutinous rice, which is what provides the sweet taste.[2]
Key facts and history
The history of Sunchang gochujang as a regional specialty dates back to the 14th century at the start of the Joseon Dynasty.[3] Founder Yi Seong-gye is said to have eaten barley bibimbab with gochujang that he found unforgettably delicious.[4] 苦椒醬 is the name given to Korean pepper paste in the mid-9th-century Chinese document Shiyi xinjian (食醫心鑑).[5] The Korean book Collected Prescriptions of Native Korean Medicines, published in 1433, contains the second-oldest known reference to pepper paste.[5]
Portuguese traders in the early 16th century brought chili peppers, originally from the Americas, to East Asia.[6] As a result, Sunchang gochujang became well-known as a product unique to that area.[4]
What the cited sources add
The Sunchang Fermented Food Festival is held every fall in Sunchang Gochujang Village, offering hands-on programs such as making gochujang.[4] In the 1960s and 70s, nearly a hundred households professionally crafted gochujang and sent as much as 7,200 kg to major cities.[4] In a 2024 analysis of 35 gochujang products from traditional cottage industries, 57% of the items tested had Bacillus cereus levels above the recommended limit.[7] The same investigation revealed that 57% of the products had an alcohol content greater than 1%.[7]
Aflatoxin was identified in some gochujang samples collected from various Korean regions in a 2024 study.[8]
References
- Wikipedia, "Gochujang" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: National Institute of Korean Language, National Institute of Korean Language, 2014-05-02 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Gochujang" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "gochujang", Doopedia (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Gochujang" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Focus", Korean Culture and Information Service; Yi, "Somun saseol", 1940; Yu, "Jeungbo sallim gyeongje", 1766; Yi, "Somun saseol", 1940 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "Focus", Korean Culture and Information Service. facts only, no text reused. kocis.go.kr
- Wikipedia, "Gochujang" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Kim, "Sunchang gochujang (Korean red chili paste): The unfolding of authenticity", Journal of Ethnic Foods, 2016, p. 201–208; Kwon, "Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste): A Korean ethnic sauce, its role and history", Journal of Ethnic Foods, 2015, p. 29–35 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Gochujang" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Guide to Korean Culture: Korea's cultural heritage", Korean Culture and Information Service, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 2015, p. 131–133; Park, "Red Pepper and Kimchi in Korea", Chile Pepper Institute Newsletter, Spring 1999, p. 3; Marianski, "Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Pickles & Relishes", Bookmagic, 2012, p. 45; "Handbook of Vegetable Preservation and Processing", Marcel Dekker, 2004, p. 190–191; Yi (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Gochujang" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Shi, "Monitoring and risk assessment of biogenic amines in Korean commercial fermented seasonings", Heliyon, 2023-08-03 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Gochujang" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Lee, "Gochujang, a traditional Korean fermented food, protects through suppressed inflammatory pathways and histological structure disruption in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis mice", Heliyon, 2024-03-30 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Gochujang (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Fermented Foods
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Gochujang (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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