Gochujang

Shiyi xinjian ({{lang|lzh|食醫心鑑}}), a mid-9th century Chinese document, recorded the Korean pepper paste as {{lang|lzh|苦椒醬}} ({{literal translation|pepper paste}}). The second-oldest documentation of pepper paste is found in the 1433 Korean book Collected Prescriptions of Native Korean Medicines.{{Cite journal|last1=Kim|first1=Soon-Hee|last2=Chung|first2=Kyung Rhan|last3=Yang|first3=Hye-Jeong|last4=Kwon|first4=Dae Young|title=Sunchang gochujang (Korean red chili paste): The unfolding of authenticity|journal=Journal of Ethnic Foods|language=en|volume=3|issue=3|pages=201–208|doi=10.1016/j.jef.2016.09.002|year=2016|doi-access=free}} Pepper paste is again mentioned in a 1445 medical encyclopedia named Compendia of Medical Prescriptions.{{Cite journal|last1=Kwon|first1=Dae Young|last2=Chung|first2=Kyung Rhan|last3=Yang|first3=Hye-Jeong|last4=Jang|first4=Dai-Ja|title=Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste): A Korean ethnic sauce, its role and history|journal=Journal of Ethnic Foods|language=en|volume=2|issue=1|pages=29–35|doi=10.1016/j.jef.2015.02.006|year=2015|doi-access=free}} However, all these sources are from the time before the actual chilli peppers were introduced to Korea.

Chili peppers, which originated in the Americas, were introduced to East Asia by Portuguese traders in the early 16th century.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NoxoBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA133|title=Guide to Korean Culture: Korea's cultural heritage|publisher=Korean Culture and Information Service, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism|year=2015|isbn=9788973755714|edition=2015|location=Seoul|pages=131–133|orig-date=1995}}{{Cite news|url=https://cpi.nmsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/60/2016/06/99-spring.pdf|title=Red Pepper and Kimchi in Korea|last=Park|first=Jae Bok|date=Spring 1999|work=Chile Pepper Institute Newsletter|access-date=20 March 2017|issue=1|volume=8|pages=3|archive-date=7 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007210343/https://cpi.nmsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/60/2016/06/99-spring.pdf|url-status=dead}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=anbDBazwLmsC&pg=PA45|title=Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Pickles & Relishes|last1=Marianski|first1=Stanley|last2=Marianski|first2=Adam|publisher=Bookmagic|year=2012|isbn=9780983697329|location=Seminole, FL|pages=45}} There is mention of a type of chili pepper brought to Korea found in Collected Essays of Jibong, an encyclopedia published in 1614.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dVpQVJ46C5gC&pg=PA190|title=Handbook of Vegetable Preservation and Processing|publisher=Marcel Dekker|year=2004|isbn=978-0824743017|editor-last=Hui|editor-first=Y. H.|location=New York|pages=190–191|editor-last2=Ghazala|editor-first2=Sue|editor-last3=Graham|editor-first3=Dee M.|editor-last4=Murrell|editor-first4=K. D.|editor-last5=Nip|editor-first5=Wai-Kit}}{{cite wikisource |script-title=ko:지봉유설 |first=Sugwang |last=Yi |plaintitle=Chibong yusŏl 지봉유설(芝峯類說) |wslanguage=ko |trans-title=Topical Discourses of Jibong |location=Joseon Korea}} Farm Management, a book from {{Circa|1700}}, discussed the cultivation methods of chili peppers.{{Cite book|url=http://db.itkc.or.kr/index.jsp?bizName=KO&url=/itkcdb/text/bookListIframe.jsp?bizName=KO&seojiId=kc_ko_g003&gunchaId=&NodeId=&setid=389232|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328021323/http://db.itkc.or.kr/index.jsp?bizName=KO&url=%2Fitkcdb%2Ftext%2FbookListIframe.jsp%3FbizName%3DKO&seojiId=kc_ko_g003&gunchaId=&NodeId=&setid=389232|url-status=dead|archive-date=2017-03-28|title=Sallim gyeongje|last=Hong|first=Manseon|location=Joseon Korea|language=lzh|script-title=ko:산림경제(山林經濟)|trans-title=Farm Management|via=DB of Korean classics by ITKC}}

The history of Sunchang gochujang's becoming a regional specialty dates back to the 14th century at the start of the Joseon Dynasty era (1392–1910) when the founder Yi Seong-gye made gochujang from the Sunchang region a part of Korean palace cuisine.

When Yi Seong-gye, who went on to become the founder and first king of Joseon as King Taejo, was on a trip to Manilsa Temple to pray to the mountain god, he is said to have eaten a bowl of barley bibimbab (spicy mixed rice with vegetables) with gochujang that he found unforgettably delicious. He loved it so much that he ordered it served to the royal family when he became king. Thus Sunchang gochujang gained fame as a regional specialty.{{Cite web |title=Focus |url=http://www.kocis.go.kr/eng/webzine/201906/sub02.html |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=Korean Culture and Information Service |language=ko}}

Gochujang ingredients reported in Jeungbo sallim gyeongje were {{convert|18|L|USqt|abbr=off}} of powdered and sieved meju (fermented soybeans), {{convert|540|mL|USfloz|frac=2|abbr=on}} of chili powder, and {{convert|1.8|liters|USqt|frac=8|abbr=on}} of glutinous rice flour, as well as soup soy sauce for adjusting the consistency. The gochujang recipe in Gyuhap chongseo, an 1809 cookbook, uses powdered meju made from {{convert|18|L|USqt|0|abbr=on}} of soybeans and {{convert|3.6|L|USqt|frac=8|abbr=on}} of glutinous rice, then adding {{convert|900-1260|mL|USfloz|frac=2|abbr=on}} of chili powder and bap made from {{convert|3.6|L|USqt|abbr=on}} of glutinous rice.{{Cite book|title=Gyuhap chongseo|title-link=Gyuhap chongseo|last=Yi|first=Bingheogak|year=1809|location=Joseon Korea|language=lzh|script-title=ko:규합총서(閨閤叢書)|trans-title=Women's Encyclopedia|author-link=Yi Bingheogak}}

{{Unreferenced section|date=December 2019}}

Image:Kimchi jar.JPG

Gochujang's primary ingredients are red chili powder ({{Korean|hangul=고추가루|rr=gochugaru|labels=no}}), glutinous rice powder, powdered fermented soybeans, and salt. Korean chili peppers, of the species Capsicum annuum, are spicy yet sweet, making them ideal for gochujang production. According to,{{cite journal |last1=Shin |first1=Donghwa |last2=Jeong |first2=Doyoun |title=Korean traditional fermented soybean products: Jang |journal=Journal of Ethnic Foods |date=March 2015 |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=2–7 |doi=10.1016/j.jef.2015.02.002|doi-access=free }} gochujang is typically made from 25% red pepper powder, 22.2% glutinous rice, 5.5% meju powder (60% cooked soybeans and 40% non-glutinous rice), 12.8% salt, 5% malt, and 29% water.

Other recipes use glutinous rice ({{Korean|hangul=찹쌀|rr=chapssal|labels=no}}), normal short-grain rice ({{Korean|hangul=맵쌀|rr=mepssal|labels=no}}), or barley. Less common additions include whole wheat kernels, jujubes, pumpkin, and sweet potato. A small amount of sweetener, such as sugar, syrup, or honey, is also sometimes added. The finished product is a dark red paste, with a rich, piquant flavor.

The making of gochujang at home began tapering off when commercial production came into the mass market in the early 1970s. Now, most Koreans purchase gochujang at grocery stores or markets. It is still used extensively in Korean cooking to flavor stews (jjigae), such as in gochujang jjigae; to marinate meat, such as in gochujang bulgogi; and as a condiment for naengmyeon and bibimbap.

Gochujang is also used as a base for making other condiments, such as chogochujang ({{Korean|hangul=초고추장|labels=no}}) and ssamjang ({{Korean|hangul=쌈장|labels=no}}). Chogochujang is a variant of gochujang made by adding vinegar and other seasonings, such as sugar and sesame seeds. It is usually used as a sauce for hoe and hoedeopbap. Similarly, ssamjang is a mixture of mainly gochujang and doenjang, with chopped onions and other spicy seasonings, and it is popular with sangchussam ({{Korean|hangul=상추쌈|labels=no}}).

Gochujang hot-taste unit (GHU) is a unit of measurement for the pungency (spicy heat) of gochujang, based on the gas chromatography and the high-performance liquid chromatography of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin concentrations.{{Cite web|url=https://standard.go.kr/KSCI/common/filedownload.ndo?atchmnflId=TBI20170111145941&atchmnflSn=3|title=Jeontong sikpum pyojun gyugyeok|last=National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service|date=September 2016|website=Korean Standards & Certifications|publisher=Korean Agency for Technology and Standards|pages=88–89|language=ko|script-title=ko:전통식품 표준규격|format=PDF|access-date=17 April 2017}}

Gochujang products are assigned to one of the five levels of spiciness: Mild, Slight Hot, Medium Hot, Very Hot, and Extreme Hot.

Gochujang is used in various dishes such as bibimbap and tteokbokki, and in salads, stews, soups, and marinated meat dishes.{{cite web|url=http://app.visitkorea.or.kr/ContentView.do?method=getContentViewPage&cid=995798&lang_code=E |title=Gochujang (Hot Pepper Paste) |publisher=VisitKorea.or.kr.org |access-date=19 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112112105/http://app.visitkorea.or.kr/ContentView.do?method=getContentViewPage&cid=995798&lang_code=E |archive-date=12 November 2014 }} Gochujang may make dishes spicier (depending on the capsaicin in the base chili), but also can make them sweeter and smokier.

• {{cite web|accessdate=31 May 2023|author=Erin Craig|date=19 Aug 2020|title=Gochujang: The trendy Korean food that burns|url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20200818-gochujang-the-trendy-korean-food-that-burns|website=BBC Travel}}

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