Top Spices Around the World: South Korea

South Korean food is known for being explosively flavourful. It combines fermented and pickled flavours with spicy chilis, pungent garlic and ginger, and marine ingredients like seaweed and anchovies.

Although some ingredients are staples in kitchens throughout the world (garlic and ginger being obvious examples), others are entirely unique to Korean cuisine. As a result, South Korea offers an assortment of truly special and irresistible flavours.

Korean cuisine has a reputation for being spicy, which is unsurprising given the abundance of red chili in ground and paste forms. However, spice levels vary between dishes and can be customized with ease to suit your tolerance for (or love of) heat.

In this article, we cover the essential South Korean spices and herbs responsible for creating this flavourful cuisine. If you’re hoping to add the taste of Korea to your food product line, this list is the place to start. Once descriptions of gochujang and doenjang have you percolating with inspiration, contact the food experts at Hela Spice. We’ll explain the next steps.

The Top South Korean Spices and Herbs

1. Gochugaru (red chili flakes)

Gochugaru is an essential ingredient in Korean cooking. It’s responsible for most of the fiery heat encountered throughout Korean cuisine.

Korean red chili flakes come in two different forms: fine and coarse. Coarsely ground gochugaru is used to make kimchi and other dishes like stews and soups. Conversely, finely ground gochugaru is mostly used when making gochujang (red chili pepper paste). 

The finely ground variety also thickens sauces while increasing the heat. In both forms, gochugaru adds warmth to dishes and enhances the other flavours. 

2. Gochujang (chili pepper paste)

Gochujang is a red hot chili pepper paste and perhaps Korea’s most famous condiment. It’s distinctly spicy, sweet, and subtly sweet. The key ingredients are finely ground gochugaru (Korean red chili peppers), barley, sweet rice, salt, and fermented soybean.

Traditionally, producing gochujang required a lengthy fermentation process. The ingredients were placed in a large, earthenware pot to ferment for several months. This created a thick, burnt red paste with a deeply savoury, pungent, peppery, spicy, and slightly sweet flavour. 

3. Doenjang (Korean soybean paste)

Doenjang, with its umami quality, is comparable to Japanese miso paste. It’s made from fermented soybean paste and salt brine. The fermentation process lasts several months or even years. The paste has a natural pungent smell and flavour.

Korean soybean paste is not eaten as is. Typically, it serves as an ingredient to season and flavour stews, soups, marinades, and namul dishes. It can also be used as a sauce.

4. Huchu (ground black pepper)

Huchu is ground black pepper. However, it differs slightly from the black pepper found in most North American households. Korean black pepper has a finer texture and a softer taste, making it ideal for subtly enhancing the flavours of a dish without leaving a pronounced peppery taste.  

5. Bokkeum Cham-kkae (roasted sesame seeds)

From seasonings to oils, sesame is a Korean staple. Bokkeum Cham-kkae are sesame seeds that have been roasted and used extensively throughout Korean cooking. Roasting the sesame seeds plumps them and intensifies their nutty warmth. 

Sesame seeds are commonly used in meat marinades, side vegetable dishes, and dipping sauces. There are also ggaesogeum, which are toasted sesame seeds that have been crushed.

6. Salt (sogeum)

Korean cuisine utilizes a variety of salts to enhance pre-existing flavours and fermentation. For instance, Korean coarse sea salt, or solar sea salt, is best for salting vegetables for kimchi and for making gochujang.

This type of salt is created using the oldest method of salt-making: solar evaporation. Seawater is collected in ponds and dried naturally by the sun and wind, resulting in a concentrated, crystallized salt. Its Korean name is Cheonilyeom.

There is also roasted salt (gueun sogeum), bamboo salt (jukyeom), and more! 

7. Saenggang (ginger)

Ginger brings a bright, fresh, vibrant, and subtle spiciness to Korean cooking. It’s an indispensable tool when it comes to adding complexity to dishes. Typically, ginger is used in conjunction with other spices and herbs, such as garlic. You’re likely to taste it in marinade sauces, Kimchi, and some types of Korean tea.

8. Manul (garlic)

Korean cooking uses garlic in all its forms. Minced, pounded, or crushed, it’s a flavourful addition found in practically all Korean dishes. This includes soups, stews, marinades, kimchi, side dishes, and more. It also provides the base flavour for Korean BBQ.

9. Pa (scallion)

Scallions are used throughout Korean cuisine, including in kimchi, salads, and garnishes. They’re also used to make broth.

Of course, scallions are an essential ingredient in the famous Korean scallion pancakes called pajeon.

10. Daepa (spring onion)

Spring onions are essentially a sweeter, larger version of a scallion. Consequently, they’re used in much the same way and can be substituted for one another. Use them as a brightening garnish or in soup stocks.

11. Dasima (dried kelp)

Dried sea kelp, also known as kombu, is used in the same way as Japanese dashi. In Korea, dasima adds a tasty umami flavour to broth. You can also make deep-fried sea kelp as a side dish.

12. Gim (seaweed)

Dried seaweed, called gim, is also present throughout Korean cooking. It’s thinner and much more pliable than kelp. Non-seasoned seaweed is commonly found in kimbap (Korean rice rolls) or as a garnish. Seasoned gim is a popular snack on its own.

13. Gganip (perilla leaves)

Perilla is an herb used in Korean cooking, although it is also used as a vegetable. There are many different uses for perilla and different parts of the plant. The leaves can be pickled as a side dish or added to a stir fry. Conversely, the seeds can be toasted and ground to make dukkah garu (perilla seed powder). Perilla has an earthy, nutty taste with minty undertones.

Japanese shiso and perilla plants belong to the same genus but are different species. They have unique shapes and slightly varied flavours. For instance, shiso leaves have more jagged edges and a stronger taste. Since they belong to the mint family, both have minty qualities.

Essential South Korean Oils and Sauces

South Korean cuisine’s distinctive flavour profiles are a product of more than just herbs and spices. Oils and sauces are also foundational components. Without them, Korean food wouldn’t possess the same delicious saltiness, sweetness, spiciness, and tantalizing complexity.

When looking to capture South Korean flavours, try incorporating some of the following into your new food product:

• Ganjang (soy sauce)
• Chamgireum (sesame oil)
• Deulgireum (perilla seed oil)
• Mirim (rice wine)
• Hyunmi Sikcho (rice vinegar)
• Jeot (Korean fish sauce)
• Myeolchi-jeot (fermented seafood sauce)
• Mulyeot (Korean malt syrup)

Incorporate South Korean Spices and Herbs Into Your Next Food Product

From red chili flakes to fermented soybean paste, South Korea offers abundant inspiration for new food products. This cuisine is an expert at unleashing umami flavours, kicking up the heat, and adding complexity to recipes.

These qualities can add excitement to new products and help entice spice-loving consumers. The food product development experts at Hela Spice can offer tips on how to incorporate South Korean flavour profiles into your product line.

To learn more about our food product development company, visit our website or contact us here.