Korean coarse red pepper (Gochugaru) is a magical ingredient and a staple in the OtherWorldly Kitchen. It’s a world apart from cayenne pepper powder.
Cayenne pepper powder has a single flavor note and is incendiary–with a Scoville heat rating of 30,000-190,000.
Korean red pepper powder has a more rounded flavor profile (smoky, woodsy, sweet) and is considerably less hot—between 5,000-10,000 on the Scoville scale.
It comes in coarse and fine grinds. The coarse grind produces small flakes, which look as good as they taste. In Asian markets, you’ll see huge cello bags of Korean red pepper powder (for kimchi lovers), but smaller packets and containers are also available.
You can pay top dollar for this special powder. The more expensive brands are handmade in the traditional way in Korea. The Wang brand that’s in my Asian pantry, however, is modestly priced and made in China. It’s very nice indeed.
But don’t limit your use of this seasoning to Asian dishes. It’s neutral enough to be your go-to ground chile pepper. I almost always choose it over cayenne powder.
And while we’re at it, let’s look at another pantry staple, Korean red pepper threads. The flavor is similar to the powder, but’s it’s the form that’s so appealing—long, slender red threads. Imagine all the ways you can use these as a garnish.
Asian-Inspired Posts from LunaCafe
- All Asia All Month 2015
- Almost Luc Lac Vietnamese Dipping Sauce
- Asian Pancakes (Beijing Pancakes)
- Asian Potsticker Dough (for Jiaozi & Gyoza Dumplings)
- Asian Tacos with Prawn & Shiitake Filling & Cabbage Slaw
- Chinese Cracker Jacks
- Chinese Good Fortune Cookies
- Eat. Portland. Sen Yai Noodles.
- Golden Fried Garlic Sesame Noodles
- Home-Style Chinese Fried Rice
- Phat Thai (Stir-Fried Rice Noodles with Tamarind Sauce, Peanuts & Lime)
- Portland Food Carts: Mama Chow’s Kitchen
- Pok Pok’s World Famous Vietnamese Chicken Wings
- Pork & Prawn Potstickers (aka Asian Dumplings)
- Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad
- Spicy Korean Noodle Soup (Jjambbong)
- Spicy Pork Wonton Soup
- Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce
- Spicy Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)
- Thai Red Curry Paste
- Thai Red Curry Soup
- Vietnamese Chicken Salad
- Vietnamese Crispy Crepes (Banh Xeo)
Cookin’ with Gas (inspiration from around the web)
- Red Chili Pepper Powder (Gochugaru) | Tri Food
- From the Spice Cupboard: Gochugaru | The Kitchn
Copyright 2015 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.
It never ceases to amaze me – the variety of ingredients found around the world. It seems like every other day, someone introduces me to something new and I have to try it out. Thank you – this looks really interesting, and the heat-n-flavor profile has so much potential!
Thanks Renée! This red pepper is a revelation. At first I used it only in Asian dishes, but now it goes into everything. 🙂