Growing up with Korean food, I had a lot of exposure to the wonderful red pepper paste known as gochujang (고추장). That alone is a very good condiment, but there is one condiment, a similar one, that I like to use even more. It is called “chojang” (초장) or “chogochujang” (초고추장), and it’s a popular Korean condiment. This is almost like an upgrade from gochujang because additional ingredients like vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and et cetera are included.
My mum makes a large jar of this magical condiment, and I use it constantly, mostly as a vegetable dipping sauce or with some block of tofu. I also use it in some naengmyeon (냉면) that I get as takeaway or make at home. There are pre-made ones sold in Korean stores, but I like the way my mum makes it. It’s the perfect blend of spicy and sweet because she adds in extra hot peppers, green onions, and sesame seeds to make it more flavourful. The addition of the hot peppers gives it a larger kick for sure, but it’s still so good when I want something spicy.
If you haven’t tried chojang, I highly recommend it, especially if you like spicy flavour. Having a bit of it with your meal can really make a difference in taste. Just thinking about the block of tofu with chojang . . . mmmm!
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