Essential Korean Pantry (Must-have Korean pantry items)
“If you keep these 6 items in your kitchen, you can turn your room into a Korean restaurant at any time.”
고추장 (Gochujang / Red Chili Paste)
The standard for sweet, salty, and spicy. It is the soul of tteokbokki and bibimbap.
📖 Learn more된장 (Doenjang / Fermented Soybean Paste)
The base for deep umami. It is heavier and more savory than Western cheese or miso.
📖 Learn more진간장 (Jin-Ganjang / Soy Sauce)
A sweet and salty soy sauce base that provides the backbone for bulgogi and japchae.
📖 Learn more참기름 (Toasted Sesame Oil)
A finishing oil that you drizzle over a dish at the very end to add an irresistibly nutty aroma.
📖 Learn more고춧가루 (Gochugaru / Chili Flakes)
Not a fine powder, but coarse flakes that add a clean and vibrant red spiciness to stews and seasoned dishes.
📖 Learn more전기 밥솥 (Korean Electric Rice Cooker)
Delicious rice is the foundation of Korean cuisine above all else. Korean rice cookers like Cuckoo or Cuchen use pressure and IH (Induction Heating) to cook rice, creating a level of gloss and chewiness that's on a different level compared to Western electric rice cookers. Because they evenly steam everything from white rice to mixed grains and brown rice with customized cooking modes, you can perfectly recreate the taste of freshly made rice from a Korean restaurant at home. No matter how well you make side dishes and soups, the meal won't be complete if the rice is undercooked or mushy, so this is the first tool worth investing in for your Korean pantry.
🛒 AmazonThis site earns commissions from Amazon on purchases made through links on this page.