If you’re going to conquer the fermented foods of the Korean battlefield, there are some key Korean ingredients (weapons of war?) you’ll need if you want to win the war. You’re guaranteed to find all of these ingredients at HMart, but if there isn’t one nearby, fear not! The giant behemoth Amazon that we all know and love carries these ingredients as well.
Gochugaru (red pepper powder)
Don’t confuse this with cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes! Gochugaru is made up of red chili peppers ground up into a fine powder. It’s what gives kimchi that beautiful red color and kickass fire! An absolute kitchen staple for your everyday Korean cooking – it’s used not only for kimchi, but other favorites like tteokbokki (Korean rice cakes) and kimchi jjigae (kimchi tofu stew).
Saeujeot (fermented tiny shrimp)
These little suckers are salty, fishy, and honestly, really cute! Saeujeot is often found in a variety of Korean dishes and is a popular ingredient in many of the fermented dishes we know and love. I prefer mincing these guys up and using the juices left in the jar to give kimchi that extra oomf. You can find it in the refrigerated section of a Korean supermarket.
Coarse Korean Sea Salt
Coarse Korean salt is different from normal table salt in a lot of ways. Number one is obvious – the granules are much larger. But why use it? It’s better at drawing the water out of your vegetables, which is necessary for ensuring your kimchi isn’t too watery. Additionally, because they’re big, they’re easier to see and easier to wash off. Because table salt is so fine, it’s easy for a lot to be left over after washing, leaving your kimchi much saltier than ideal.
Glutinous Rice Flour (sweet rice flour)
This ingredient is kind of magical. Stir it slowly in simmering water, and you’ll get this fun, sticky paste, which is a key component when making kimchi. It’s basically the glue that binds all your ingredients together. Sweet rice flour is great to have around just in case you ever decide you want to make mochi or rice cakes!
Fish Sauce
I would say fish sauce and saeujeot make up the umami flavor duo that’ll elevate your kimchi from baby dabbler to super grandma. Honestly, though, without these two ingredients, things taste….flat? Fish sauce is definitely very salty, so you’ll need to be careful when adding it in. There are a lot of different types, but I’d recommend one made from anchovies.