Gochugaru

Korean chili flakes made from sun-dried red chilies, ground coarse or fine. Bright red, fruity, mild to medium hot and slightly smoky.

Gochugaru is dried, seeded red chili ground into flakes or a fine powder. It is the essential form of chili in Korean cooking, giving kimchi, stews and marinades their colour and heat. The flavour is fruity and faintly sweet with a light smoky note, and the heat stays moderate, so it can be used in large amounts without making a dish fiery. The coarse grade suits kimchi and seasoning pastes, the fine grade sauces and even colouring. It is sold in Asian grocery stores and online; kept in the fridge or freezer it holds its colour and aroma much longer.

Substitute:

The closest match is Aleppo pepper (pul biber) from a Turkish grocery, which is similarly fruity and mild but oilier, often salted and slightly tangier. In a pinch, mix sweet paprika with a little cayenne; this roughly matches colour and heat but not the fruitiness or texture. Ordinary crushed red pepper flakes are too hot to use in the usual quantities.

Used in

Bibim GuksuCold noodles tossed with crisp cucumber and a sweet-hot chili dressing25 min Budae JjigaeKorean army stew with kimchi, luncheon meat and sausages, eaten straight from the pot40 min BulgogiPaper-thin beef in a sweet-savory marinade, seared fast and hard75 min Chonggak KimchiYoung ponytail radishes with their greens, crisp and boldly spiced3,5 h Dak-KalguksuHand-cut wheat noodles in clear chicken broth with shredded meat2 h Doenjang JjigaeKorean soybean paste stew with tofu, vegetables and anchovy broth45 min Dubu JorimBraised tofu in a spicy gochugaru sauce — quick, and made for rice30 min Eomuk BokkeumFish cake strips with onion and chili, glossed in a soy sauce glaze20 min GalbijjimSoy-braised beef short ribs with radish, carrot and shiitake2 h Haemul PajeonCrispy Korean scallion pancake loaded with seafood45 min JapchaeKorean glass noodle salad with marinated beef, vegetables and egg ribbons60 min Jeyuk BokkeumPaper-thin pork in a gochujang marinade, seared hot with plenty of vegetables60 min Kimchi BokkeumStir-fried kimchi with pork belly — on the table in 20 minutes20 min Kimchi-JjimBraised pork belly with long-aged kimchi90 min Kongnamul MuchimCrisp soybean sprouts tossed with sesame oil, garlic and spring onion20 min MusaengchaeKorean radish salad: crisp matchsticks, sweet-sour and bright red with gochugaru45 min Oi MuchimKorean cucumber salad with gochugaru, garlic and sesame – ready in 25 minutes25 min YukgaejangSpicy Korean beef soup with shredded brisket, bean sprouts and spring onions110 min