7 Best Gochujang Brands for Amazing Korean Meals
Gochujang, a popular Korean sauce, is essential for authentic Korean cuisine. Check out the best brands for quality ingredients, robust flavor, and smooth texture to elevate your meals at home.
As the popularity of Korean dishes grows worldwide, many people have found the holy grail of Korean sauces, gochujang. This spicy red paste consists of chili powder, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt. The taste is spicy and sweet, so it’s a frequent addition to authentic Korean cuisine.
Read on to find out the best gochujang brands available so you can create amazing Korean meals right at home. We will also cover some of the key components of this chili paste and answer some common questions.
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1. Chung Jung One Gochujang Korean Chili Sauce (Vegan & Gluten-Free
Chung Jung One is likely the most well-known gochujang brand in the world. This particular version of the brand’s gochujang is both vegan and gluten-free, which is excellent for people on restricted diets or with allergies who still want to enjoy the spicy chili sauce. It has a serious claim to be the best gochujang sauce.
2. Chung Jung One O’Food Brown Rice Gochujang
Chung Jung One has a second entry on our list, which isn’t surprising considering how prolific the brand is. The O’Food brand is slightly different than the primary Chung Jung One brand, so it comes with different labeling, packaging, and ingredients. This gochujang uses brown rice for a healthier version of the classic paste.
3. Sempio Gochujang
Sempio is likely the second most well-known gochujang brand after Chung Jung One. Similar to the previous brand, Sempio offers a ton of options when it comes to their gochujang. Among their options are gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, organic, different spice levels, and gochujang with lemon.
4. Roland Foods’ Gochujang Hot Chili Paste
Roland Foods’ gochujang hot chili paste is on the sweeter side and is a bit less savory, though it still contains a ton of heat for spice lovers. This product uses corn syrup, which is why it comes out a bit sweeter than some of the other pastes.
5. Q-Rapha Classic Korean Gochujang
Q-Rapha keeps it relatively simple with their gochujang. The ingredients are all-natural, and the list is pretty short, just soybean powder, chili powder, cane sugar, tomato, rice, brown rice syrup, salt, and alcohol (for the fermentation process). Adding tomato to the ingredients helps keep the savory side fully present with this sauce, while the pure cane sugar brings some natural sweetness.
6. CJ Haechandle Vinegared Gochujang
CJ Haechandle is the most popular brand for gochujang in South Korea. The brand uses the traditional process for creating gochujang, which they claim creates a better umami flavor than their competitors. Chili peppers are only added to the mixture after the rice and four are fully mixed. The brand also offers gochujang sauce that includes vinegar, which gives the sauce an extra bite and is ideal for dishes that include vegetables.
7. Bibigo Gochujang Sauce
The Bibigo gochujang sauce is one of the sweeter options for this traditional sweet and savory sauce. The ingredients include brown sugar and soy sauce, so you get the perfect mix of sweet and salty. People have noted that the fermented flavor is a bit weaker, so if you don’t love that fermented taste, this sauce is excellent for you.
8. Sunchang Gochujang
Sunchang’s gochujang is a bit unique because the brand offers its product in the classic gochujang tub, but it also offers small tubes, similar to concentrated tomato paste. The flavor is in line with classic gochujang, but the tube container is easy to store, doesn’t allow air in, and is convenient to use.
9. KPOP Foods Gochujang Sauce
The KPOP Foods gochujang is unique due to its packaging. Most gochujang containers are small tubs, so you can easily scoop out the paste. Instead, the KPOP Foods gochujang sauce comes in a convenient squeeze bottle. This makes it a perfect option for people who always want a little extra spice to pour on their meals.
What Makes Gochujang Good?
All of the brands we’ve listed make excellent-quality gochujang. But what exactly makes a good gochujang sauce? The three key components of good gochujan are:
- quality ingredients
- robust flavor
- smooth texture
Quality Ingredients
Any good food product has to start with quality ingredients. The primary ingredients for gochujang are quite simple: chili powder, rice, fermented soybean, and salt. Some brands add barley malt, but many decide to leave this out, so their product is gluten-free. Chili powder and fermented soybean are the most critical ingredients in terms of quality.
The chili powder should be relatively fresh because any powdered seasoning loses potency over time. Steamed (rather than boiled) fermented soybeans are usually considered superior.
Robust Flavor
Gochujang may be used as a sauce, but you may also see it used as an ingredient in cooking Korean dishes. Because of this, the flavor of the gochujang must be robust and intense enough to shine through the other ingredients (similar to Korean BBQ Sauce).
Smooth Texture
Gochujang usually comes in the form of a paste, which is a bit thicker than other typical sauces like ketchup or barbecue sauce. Because it is a paste, the gochujang must have a smooth, even texture. This makes it easy to incorporate the paste into other dishes and sauces ideally.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular gochujang?
The most popular gochujang likely depends on where you are in the world. In South Korea and many other areas in Asia, CJ Haechandle is the most popular brand for gochujang. In addition, the brand makes a few different types of gochujang (different spice levels and ingredients), so they are popular for their variety as well.
In the United States, the most popular brand of gochujang is a tie between Chung Jung One and Sempio. However, in the United States, the medium spice level gochujang options are more popular than in South Korea. This is because authentic Korean food is generally spicier than Korean-American (and Korean-European) dishes. The extra-spicy variations are often the most popular in South Korea.
Is gochujang a brand?
No, gochujang is a spicy red chili paste often used in Korean dishes, not a specific brand name (similar to how ketchup isn’t a specific brand, just a type of sauce). Different types and recipes for gochujang exist worldwide, both homemade recipes and store-bought brands.
How many types of gochujang are there?
Different types of gochujang can be as plentiful as the number of brands that offer hot chili paste. In general, there are classic gochujang (basic, spicy red chili paste), gluten-free gochujang, vegan & gluten-free gochujang, and different spice-level gochujang options. Many brands offer medium spice levels for people who shy away from spicy food and extra-spicy options for people who love the hottest sauce they can find.
What’s the difference between Gochujang paste and Gochujang sauce?
The difference between Gochujang paste and Gochujang sauce is that they are not the same thing. Gochujang paste serves as the base for Gochujang sauce, but the sauce requires additional ingredients to “dilute” the potent paste. Gochujang paste transforms into a sauce when combined with vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, a sweetener, and potentially other desired ingredients.
Which Korean gochujang is best?
The best Korean gochujang can be determined by considering the following options: Chung Jung One Gochujang Korean Chili Sauce (Vegan & Gluten-Free), Chung Jung One O’Food Brown Rice Gochujang, Sempio Gochujang, Roland Foods’ Gochujang Hot Chili Paste, Q-Rapha Classic Korean Gochujang, CJ Haechandle Vinegared Gochujang, and Bibigo Gochujang Sauce.
How do you pick a good gochujang?
To pick a good gochujang, it is recommended to choose gochujang producers that prefer using gochugaru made from sun-dried chili peppers, as it provides a cleaner and fresher taste to the chili paste. Additionally, look for gochujang which includes barley malt as it serves as the base liquid for the fermentation process and adds a nutty flavor to the final product.
Are you supposed to refrigerate gochujang?
Gochujang needs to be refrigerated after opening the package, just like miso and other fermented products.
Can you eat gochujang straight?
No, it is not recommended to consume gochujang directly from the container. Gochujang is a fermented condiment made from chili powder, glutinous rice, meju (fermented soybean) powder, yeotgireum (barley malt powder), and salt, offering a savory, sweet, and spicy flavor.
Is store bought gochujang healthy?
Store-bought gochujang is generally not a significant source of vitamins, but it does contain some nutrients. While it may not be considered a superfood due to its lack of high concentrations of specific vitamins, gochujang does contain vitamin-rich ingredients such as chili peppers and soy protein.
