Q: What is Gochujang?
A: Fermented red chili paste used for everything from Bibimbap to Meuntang or Pizza…(as well as dips, marinades, stocks…) It primarily consists of Gochugaru (red chili powder), glutinous rice/powder, a bit of cultured soybeans, salt, and sometimes sweetener.
Q: Where can I purchase it?
A: Everywhere from Asian Markets to Amazon.
Q: Is it very spicy?
A: Different brands produce a range of flavors. I find that most of my tubs produce a milder level of heat. Its distinctive deep ruby color should not be associated with the likes of Sriracha but, if you find the kick to be too much, you can always try incorporating it into mayo/yogurt/ketchup/bbq sauce, or even sweetening it up with your favorite natural sweetener (i.e., coconut nectar, agave, honey). I would say it’s a nice blend of savory, spicy, and sweet.
Q: Why is it so important?
A: Dare I say it’s our mother-condiment? It’s literally the trinity of sauce bases in my home, along with Daenjang (soybean paste), and Soy Sauce. It’s been around since the 1700′s and goes into everything (it seems)…even noodles. I love it on burgers, too.
Q: How is it produced?
A: It’s blended and stored in a traditional clay (earthenware) pot to age for at least a month in lots of sunlight.
Q: What should I be looking for when purchasing store bought Gochujang?
A: A deep, dark color, a smooth (almost creamy texture)…a great Gochujang isn’t only about the spice, it’s pungent and complex, with just a note of sweetness and should never contain MSG or high fructose corn syrup–those are just fillers and will muddy the purposeful delicate balance of great Gochujang.
- 1 ripe diced Mango
- ¼ c chopped Red Onion
- 1 chopped Jalapeño
- ⅓ c chopped Cilantro
- Juice of ½ Lime
- S & P
- 1 dozen large Shrimp
- ½ tb Sesame Oil
- 2 tb Gochujang (Korean Pepper Paste)
- 1-2 tb Brown Sugar (depending on how sweet your paste is)
- 2 ts minced Garlic
- 2 ts toasted Sesame Seeds
- 2 chopped Green Onions
- S & P
- In your first bowl, toss everything together for your salsa and set aside.
- In your second bowl, massage everything together into your shrimp and allow it to steep in the sauce for 30 minutes-1 hour.
- Grill your shrimp and after it’s cooked, layer your salsa and shrimp together on your tortillas.
Love & great Gochujang!
Love,
Your Squishy Monster ^.~
this looks amazing! I have never used gochujang but clearly I need to go and get some! The shrimp tacos looks delish!
As a spicy lover, I think I’m naturally inclined to grab red sauces and gochujang is really great!
Yum! Thanks for teaching me about a new ingredient!
We were without the stuff for a mere 2 days last month and I thought we’d all go crazy, lol.
Wow those tacos look awesome. And great FAQ, I have had gochujang in my fridge for years!
Gochujang, ftw! ^.^
I have 2 tubs of gochujang in the fridge.. just in case 1 runs out ^^ that’s how important gochujang is to me! love your shrimp tacos ^^
That’s some serious love =)
YES! This is my type of recipe. Looks fantastic. I actually spotted Gochujang in my local Korean Grocer recently, and was quite curious! Will definitely give it a try. Always room for more chilli paste in my fridge (I have a huge multi-cultural selection!).
I love that it’s popping up in the most mainstream of places, now!!
I don’t think that there is anything better out there than gochujang. I am putting it on/in everything from chicken noodle soup to using as a dip for my roasted chicken hehe..hubby thinks I am totally adopted! Anyhow, shrimp tacos..yummy all I can say, would hit the spot right now!:)
Chicken noodle soup, eh? I will definitely be looking into that!!
I love shrimp tacos, looks so good. I’m always up for trying new sauces and all.
It pairs really well with the sweetness of the shrimp.
Thank you,I learnt something new Squishy
I feel accomplished for the day =)
Gochujang is awesome! I always have a bottle on hand, right next to the sriracha in the fridge.
Replace those shrimp with tofu and I’d be all over these tacos!
A combo of bright red sauces to be festive with
That looks delicious!
Thank you, Audrey!
Your Q&A about Gochujang is very helpful, clear and concise.
Love your fusion take. I am assuming you use ripe mango in the salsa, correct?
Thank you, Norma! I’m glad because I was getting so many questions about it, hope I covered all the bases.
I think you did.
i’m intrigued by the gochujang, it sounds wonderful! and the tacos look absolutely delicious! hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
It’s definitely worth looking into…hope your little one enjoyed Thanksgiving with y’all!
I’m mad for Korean food at the moment and have a big container of this in my fridge along with ssamjang!
Great recipe!
yaaay! Love to hear it…I think I’ll find some lettuce for ssamjang tonight!
I’ve never heard of red chili powder being called that. Thanks for the info!
No problemo =)
OMG. Can I say how in love I am with this recipe? Definitely bookmarking this! I love shrimps; I love gochujang; I love mangos; I love tacos…this is like my dream meal!!! Awesome, Angie!
*blush* I find that I love all of these elements too so I kind of went a bit crazy and had 8 :/ lol
Your video was amazing! Very clear and concise and looking forward to watching more great recipes from your kitchen. Great Asian-Tex Mex fusion food. Our family loves shrimp tacos and I never thought to use the the Korean Pepper Paste for the spice- great idea. Take Care, BAM
That is a great compliment—thanks Bam!
Wonderful DELICIOUS looking recipe Angie. Thanks for sharing the great video!
That lovely red pepper paste Angie HOW HOT is it ( lol)?Never tried it ( I don’t think I have ) yet.This salsa would also I think be great with other types of tacos or fish.
I hope you and your family had a great THANKS GIVING Angie. We did here. Have a wonderful week end.
Love.
Les.
It’s no where near the sriracha range and the beautiful thing is that you can easily incorporate roasted garlic or more rice syrup/etc into it…different brands produce different levels of heat but I really find that most often, it’s a moderate level of spice—homemade pastes can be a bit spicier.
Oh Great! Thanks Angie. So many wonderful and interestimg foods in our world.
I hope to eat them all one day =)
This shrimp looks fantastic my friend
And thank you for introducing me to a new flavour!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Yay for that! I hope you get to try it =)