Hello friends,
I wanted to thank you for taking the time to read a post with a question that I feel may be heresy, but I’m hoping you’ll bear with me.
Simply, what are some of your substitutes for gochujang or gochugaro for those who don’t like the heat of the Korean chili pepper or simply want some other flavor profile? I know the Korean chili pepper is not the only feature of Korean cuisine (c.f. jjajangmyeon), but it often features prominently. The powder itself isn’t too spicy, but the paste typically packs more of a punch. I love the spice and heat more than my partner does, but I want to accommodate that in the cooking I do. It might also be nice to stumble into some interesting “fusion” recipes that combine Korean cuisine techniques with new flavor profiles.
Take, for example, [this Future Neighbor recipe for a sundubu paste](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN3aj6DyCv0). I love this recipe for any number of reasons. It leverages what seems to be (from my outsider perspective) an interesting technique of Korean cuisine that uses meat as a kind of seasoning agent rather than the focal point of the dish itself (as you might get in Western cuisines). That was such a revelation when I first got into Korean cuisine. It also sits in the freezer beautifully. It doesn’t need to be thawed and it needs only a few minutes to turn into a nice, warm stew/soup for the cold winters here (and it’s already bone-chilling here in Sweden). I want to make a ton of this for my partner and I, but the Korean chili pepper is the star of the show. It would be nice to have another version of it that is less spicy, but still has an interesting (even if only quasi-authentic?) flavor profile.
What would you recommend here, and in general as a substitute for the pepper in its paste or powder form for some Korean staples? Hungarian paprika is much milder (I think) and is always an option at least as a substitute for the powder. I don’t know about substituting the paste, though. Do you substitute gochujang with some other prominent paste (like doenjang)? I wouldn’t think so, but that’s maybe because I haven’t thought to try. Any feedback/tips welcome.
by randomintercept
2 Comments
I’d say there is no exact substitute for gochujang because its flavor, texture and manufacturing process is unique and very different from doenjang. Sriracha and many “hot sauce” brands contain too much acidity and less thickness; doenjang is saltier, chunkier, and not as sticky.
The only alternative I can imagine is homemade “gochujang” with a load of sweet paprika instead of gochugaru. There are also a few mild gochujang brands that contain less sodium and heat due to being marketed as kid/toddler-friendly, but I don’t know if you can buy them overseas.
Paprika powder is definitely a suitable substitute for fine gochugaru; many preschools in Korea have started to use it as a mild alternative.
Ok outright ignoring the fact that there are many Korean dishes that don’t even go anywhere near gochujang/garu, are you aware of gochujang pastes that are very mild in terms of its heat? If you look on the pack, there usually is a spiciness rating on it. Just try to find the one that is the lowest spiciness and try that out. You might need to try out different brands as the spiciness can vary from brand to brand.
Secondly, you could look to make your own gochujang using really mild peppers if the first option isn’t good enough. It’s not really all that hard and might be the way to let you have your cake and eat it in that you don’t need to compromise on flavour even though you won’t have the spicy kick.
As for gochugaru, whilst you can also find mild versions, in terms of outright substitutes, the closest I’ve come to gochugaru without being gochugaru is aleppo pepper. However you have to get the milder one. Urfa biber I think it’s called? Regular is still moderately mild but it can have a bit of a kick to it so if gochugaru is too much, then so will the regular aleppo pepper.