frequently asked ?s

Gochujang is a savory and sweet fermented Korean chili paste.

It’s been around since the 1400s and is one of the three major “mother sauces” in Korean food (the other two are ganjang and doenjang).

Add gochujang when you want to add some depth, warmth, and savoriness.

It does best with some acid (e.g., lemon juice, rice vinegar, ketchup) or fat (e.g., sesame oil, butter, kewpie mayo), but also goes great with sweets (e.g., chocolate, caramel)!

Need some ideas? Try adding it to rice, roasted veggies, pasta, marinades, fried goodies, grilled goodies, stews, cookies, cakes, pecan pies, pizza, grilled cheese sandies, and dips.

Our gochujangs are notably more savory, rich, and toothsome than what you might find at H Mart, and relies on quality, local ingredients and patience to develop deeper flavors that reflect time and place. We also use glutionous millet instead of sweet rice, which is a family tradition and adds a nuttier flavor profile.

The red tubs of gochujang at H Mart are addictively delicious, but they also tend to contain preservatives, processed sugars, and other less traditional additives (e.g., high fructose corn syrup, dried onion, dried garlic).

While we still use the red tub for certain things, nothing beats the traditional, living flavors and health benefits of slow fermentation.

In theory, gochujang can last forever, but experts in Korea recommend eating gochujang within one year of jarring for optimal taste.

According to food safety regulations, traditional gochujang should be refrigerated.

Gochujang should be fine if left out (it is often left outside for years in fermentation jars after all), but it does have active cultures, so please take care to pay attention to any surface molds.