But in any dish calling for red pepper flakes or chili powder. When I delved deep into learning how to make traditional kimchi, I unearthed the secret ingredient that gives kimchi its signature heat, color, and flavor: Korean red chili powder, or gochugaru. Discover what makes Korean red chili powder so special, how to buy it, use it, and suggested substitutions.
Gochugaru (GO-choo-GAH-roo), also known as Korean chili powder, is a staple ingredient in Korean cooking. The name “gochugaru” is derived from Korean gochu-garu (고춧가루; gochutgaru), where gochu (고추) means “chili pepper” and garu (가루) means “powder”.
Gochugaru is a vibrant red color with a complex flavor that is a wee bit spicy, sweet, and slightly smoky. The actual spiciness can vary depending on the region of origin and its specific farming conditions.
Korean Chili Flakes, Gochugaru Bulk
Korean red chili powder, Korean chili flakes, Korean gochugaru, hot pepper flakes, gochugaru pepper, red pepper flakes, kimchi powder, red pepper powder, etc.
You have to visually inspect the contents to make sure that you are buying the traditional spice that is used to make kimchi.
The coarse grind of Korean chili powder (gochugaru) is used in Kimchi and many Korean side dishes. It has a flake-like consistency.
And Koreans Think They're Hot!
There are two types, or textures, of gochugaru that Koreans use: flakes (or coarse grind) and fine powder. This can be confusing because both packages might say “powder” on them.
Coarse chili powder (flakes) is used to make the seasoning paste for kimchi. The flakes are blended along with ginger, garlic, and Korean fish sauce to create an important flavor profile that is hard to replicate with other types of chili powders. Many Korean side dishes, soups, and stews are also seasoned with the flakes.
Gochugaru is not quite as coarse as the red pepper flakes you would find at your local pizza parlor, nor are they as fine as cayenne pepper. Don’t confuse its flaky texture for actual seeds as is seen in red pepper flakes. There are no seeds in gochugaru.
Gochujang King Hot Korean Hybrid Pepper Seeds
Red pepper flakes are hotter than gochugaru. In a one-quart batch of kimchi, just ½to 1 teaspoon (5 ml) or red pepper flakes give plenty of heat. However, when using gochugaru, ¼cup (60 ml) imparts an incredible flavor profile without overpowering heat.
Red pepper powder commonly found in grocery stores is made from a different pepper that won’t have the same flavor profile as Korean red pepper powder.
The beautiful, orange-red hue of kimchi comes from gochugaru. If you are wanting to make the best-tasting batch of kimchi, purchase authentic Korean red chili powder. I originally used red pepper flakes in my Kimchi-Style Sauerkrautrecipe but now recommend the real stuff: gochugaru. In the shopping guide below, I share tips and links.
Gochugaru Vs. Red Pepper Flakes Showdown
Korean red pepper powder—gochugaru—is not super spicy. Much hotter are the peppers used in Thai or Vietnamese cooking or the varieties of peppers used in Mexican dishes.
Scoville heat units – often shortened to just SHU – are simply a measurement of sugar-water. The Scoville Organoleptic Test measures chili heat by figuring out how much sugar-water is needed to be diluted into a chili pepper mash to get to the point where you no longer feel the heat at all. —PepperScale
So, if you end up with a batch of kimchi that is too hot for your palate, add some sugar to it to bring down the heat.
Hot Chile Peppers On The Scoville Scale
According to the PepperScale website, Gochugaru lands In the medium-heat index of 4, 000 – 8, 000 Scoville heat units, similar to the jalapeño’s 2, 500 to 8, 000 Scoville heat units. Wikipedia puts green, unripe Korean chili peppers at 1, 500 Scoville heat units. I certainly don’t find gochugaru to be as hot a jalapeño pepper.
My Kimchi-Style Sauerkraut recipe calls for red pepper flakes. They have a lot more heatbecause of the seeds, which are where much of a pepper’s heat is held. It is typically made from cayenne pepper and ranges from 30, 000 to 50, 000 Scoville heat units. Gochugaru, comparatively, is seedless when made and lower on the heat scale.
To me, gochugaru is not hot – and I don’t like hot and spicy. I have used both the Mother-in-Law's and the Crazy Korean Cooking's brands of gochugaru. I find that gochugaru imparts a long, gentle warmth to foods and does not deliver a quick, spicy hit.
Korean Hot Pepper Paste (gochujang) Sempio, 1 Kg
To make gochujang, soybeans, red chili pepper powder (powdered gochujang), rice flour, malt syrup, and salt are mixed and left to ferment in an onggi pot (a Korean clay fermentation vessel) for 3 months or longer. On sunny days, the lid is removed to allow light to shine on the fermenting mixture.
If you can find a brand of gochujang that is traditionally fermented with traditional ingredients such as this list from Mother-in-Law's Gochujang: chile pepper flakes, malt syrup, wheat flour, sweet rice powder, garlic, onion, salt, soybean flour, it would make a good substitution.
Gochugaru is made by drying Korean red chili peppers in the sun, de-seeding them, and crushing them into flakes. “Taeyangcho, ” or peppers that have been sun-dried, are considered to make the highest quality gochugaru. Lower-quality brands use peppers that are machine dried.
Yangnyeom Gejang 양념게장 (spicy Raw Crab)
In Korean, the chili peppers are most often called gochu (고추), which means “chili pepper.” The gochu peppers have a thick wall like a pimento or paprika type pepper and help to slightly thicken the red pepper paste in kimchi as well as give it that crazy cool red color. Gochu peppers are vibrant red and 4-6 inches in length. The dried peppers seen in the video above look bigger than most of the references I’ve come across.
If you have a garden and are unable to buy gochugaru, consider growing Korean red peppers to make DIY gochugaru powder or flakes.
This article by Kirsten Shockey, will get you started on the process and help your find the correct pepper seeds (Sherwood Seeds) to grow the right peppers.
Gochugaru (korean Chili Powder And Korean Chili Flakes)
The label “red pepper powder” is on both of these packages. The one on the left is flakes and the one on the right is powder.
On some packages, you may find different heat indicators for the gochugaru. According to Maangchi at her website of authentic Korean recipes:
The spice level of these hot pepper flakes varies from mild to hot. I use less spicy flakes in many recipes, which allows me to use more and make the dish redder! When buying these flakes, “maewoon gochugaru” means very hot spicy hot pepper flakes and “deolmaewoon gochugaru” means milder. Try to buy the ones that are made with sun-dried peppers, which will be labeled as 태양초 on the package. My Favorite Gochugaru Brands Found Online
Meet Gochujang: A Must Have Korean Condiment
I always have one of these brands of Korean red pepper flakes stockpiled in my freezer for backup and a small jar kept in my spice cabinet. I use it in meatloaf, Thai green curry dishes, kimchi ferments, and substitute it for any recipes that call for common red pepper flakes.
NOTE: These brands are often out-of-stock. You might have to enter “gochugaru” to “korean red pepper” in the search bar to find a current listing.
The chili peppers used for the Crazy Korean Cooking gochugaru are naturally grown using no pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Then, the high-quality chili peppers are selected and washed with clean spring water. Next, they are naturally sun-dried and ground. The ground chili peppers are thoroughly inspected and any impurities are removed. Sun-dried chili peppers (taeyangcho) are more vibrant in color and retain more nutrients and flavor than machine-dried chili peppers.
Growing Your Own Gochugaru Korean Chili Pepper Flakes For Kimchi
Mother-in-Law’s signature gochugaru has moderate heat with fruity, smoky flavors, and crimson color that is essential for delicious kimchi and all your dishes.The peppers are grown in New Mexico, USA.
Lakehouse Farms 100% Organic Korean Chili Pepper Flakes/Powder (Gochugaru) - The Only U.S. Grown Organic Certified Korean Pepper Flakes (6 oz - Fine)
Coarsely ground, between a flake and a powder, this popular Korean ingredient by Boise Salt Co.is fruity and smokey with a mild heat.Ranges from 1, 000 to 2, 500 on the Scoville Heat Scale.
Korean Chili Powder
Store in an airtight container to avoid oxidation and keep in your fridge or freezer to shield it from direct sunlight, and to retain freshness. I purchase mine by the pound, keep some in a spice jar in my kitchen, and the rest in my freezer. If you rarely use it, keep the small jar in the fridge to keep it fresh.
If you’re unable to buy authentic Korean red pepper powder, the PepperScale blog has a list of good gochugaru substitutes – crushed red pepper, chipotle powder, and a few other options, along with the pros and cons of them.
Paprika + chili powder. Combine 1 tablespoon paprika with 1 teaspoon chili powder to try to duplicate the color and heat found in gochugaru.
Ways To Use Gochujang Korean Chilli Paste
Also worth a look is 7 Delicious Gochugaru Substitutes You Can Use When You Can’t Get the Real Deal. She includes the Scoville Heat Units for each substitute which is helpful when wanting to know how much heat you’ll be adding to your dish.
If you are interested in making kimchi and can’t get a hold of Korean chili, don’t let that stop you!
0 komentar
Posting Komentar