Is Gochujang Gluten-Free? Here Is Everything You Need to Know About Gochujang

All You Need to Know About Gochujang & Mini Buying Guide in 4 Easy Steps!

From authentic traditions of hundreds of years old to annual festivals held in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. The traditional Gochujang paste has come a long way through countless generations and is now rising to new popularity heights across the world. More and more people are discovering this intriguing paste, therefore let‘s find out what Gochujang is and answer various questions such as: is gochujang gluten-free? Or how can I buy a good quality Gochujang? And more. All in 4 Easy Steps. Let‘s begin!

Step 1: What Exactly is Gochujang?

Before we start, let‘s find out the definition of Gochujang, and what exactly is this intriguing paste? And with the history and origins dating back to at least 1433 when the first documentation of pepper paste was written down, it is a fascinating part of Gastronomy, no doubt!

Gochujang, also known as red chili paste, is a sweet, spicy, and savory fermented condiment created by merging ingredients such as chili powder, meju powder (dried fermented soybeans), glutinous rice, yeotgireum (barley malt powder), and salt.

Step 2: Is Gochujang Gluten-Free?

Did we mention glutinous rice? No worries! Glutinous stands for rice being sticky and glue-like and is entirely free of gluten. Therefore, is gochujang gluten-free after all? Originally – yes!

However, for this reason, precisely many commercial gochujang producers added gluten in some form of barley or wheat.

If you‘re looking for a gluten-free Gochujang from a commercial product or even making it yourself, you‘ll have to pay attention to the structure of the recipe or the product you are buying.

Step 3: Top Variations of Gochujang to Try from Amazon!

With all the recipes floating around and different producers selling distinctive Gochujang pastes, it is more than easy to get lost in the market. But! Amazon is a great place to find different Gochujang sauces with affordable pricing, especially for the US market.

Check out these 3 prime and different variations of Gochujang on Amazon:

  • K-Mama Original Gochujang is a 100% vegan, gluten-free and non-GMO product sticking to original roots with 30% of the profits going to charity!
  • Chung Jung One is a reputable brand in Korea and offers its Gochujang, which is rich in flavor and made with ingredients that are produced in Korea.
  • Gochujang Honey Garlic Wing Sauce is an exciting alternative to try where the Korean gochujang is balanced with ingredients such as honey and garlic.

Step 4: Conclusion + Tips on Buying Ingredients to Make Gochujang

There you go! With these simple steps, you are now able to recognize gluten-free Gochujang as well as know the primary and most important information about it. We also introduced Amazon options because good quality Gochujang is still not easy to find in the US or outside South Korea.

How about finding authentic ingredients? Whole food markets or Korean will be your best bet to find the majority of the ingredients if your location has such grocery stores. Another option is once again Amazon and shops like Kimchimari Store, where you can find vital parts of Gochujang paste and even traditional clay vessels used for fermentation. Good luck!

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