Volume 2, Issue 1, March 2015, Pages 29–35
Open Access
Original article
- Open Access funded by Korea Food Research Institute
- Under a Creative Commons license
Abstract
Gochujang (Korean fermented red pepper sauce, also written in Kochujang), along with kimchi, is an age-old ethnic food made with Korea's representative ingredient, red pepper. A typical Korean meal (Bapsang) is composed of rice (Bap), from which calories are derived, soup (Kuk), which helps in the chewing and digesting of the rice, and side dishes (Banchan), which provide additional nutrition and flavor. To add even more variety to the taste, seasoning (Jang, Yangnyum)
is added. Gochujang has become the most fundamental of these kinds of
food in Korea over thousands of years, functioning to make add flavor to
rice taste better while aiding the digestive system. Gochujang also
serves as a simple seasoning when making dishes such as braised spicy
chicken, and provide additional nutrients. According to age-old
documents, the development process used to manufacture Gochujang
requires the basic ingredients of Meju (block made with cooked soy bean)
powder, rice or glutinous rice flour, and red pepper powder. Sunchang
Gochujang is one variety known for its great taste that was often
consumed by kings during the Chosun dynasty. The basic method for making
Gochujang in the present is almost the same as it was in the past.
Gochujangis not just used to season food; it is also known for its
nutritional value For example, it is widely accepted among Koreans that
when a person has a weak stomach (due to the poor functionality of the
stomach and spleen), and cannot digest food well., Gochujang can be
eaten alleviates the symptoms. Recently many studies have been done to
prove the medical functions of Gochujang scientifically. Due
improvements in science and technology in the area of biology, it has
also been discovered that Gochujang has the ability to prevent obesity
and diabetes.
Keywords
- Gochujang;
- Kochujang;
- Korea Bapsang;
- Korea red pepper sauce;
- Sunchang Gochujang
1. Introduction
The
individual components that make up the food on Korean people's tables
are well publicized, but the overall composition is yet to be known
widely. The goal of this article is to change this situation.
The components of a traditional Korean meal: Korea's traditional meal (Bapsang) is generally made up of four constituents. The first is cooked rice (Bap), which provides calories. Another important component is Kuk (soup), which allows people to chew and swallow rice, in turn supporting the digestive system. Side dishes (Banchan),
make up the third component and make the food taste better while
replenishing the body with nutrition. The final item is sauce (Jang, Yangnyum), which stimulates peoples' appetite. ( Fig. 1) [1]. The kinds of cooked rice (Bap) that are used in main dishes include steamed rice, boiled barley, and multigrain rice. As for soup (Kuk), Doenjang soup, sea mustard soup and beef soup are commonly eaten. Kimchi is always there as a side dish [2]
as are others, including roasted meat, vegetables, and salad dressed
with garlic and chili powder; vegetables seasoned with vinegar are also
served as a side dish. The most basic seasoning used to make the food
savory is Kanjang (fermented soy sauce: Jang in Korean means fermented soy sauce or paste), Doenjang (fermented soybean paste), vinegar, Gochujang, and Jeotkal (fermented fish sauce from anchovies, shrimp, etc.). In the case of Jeotkal, the sauce can be eaten as a side dish but it is more often used as seasoning [1]. In Korea, people drink Soongnyoong (tea made from left over steamed rice) to finish off a meal [3].
By using these four fundamental foods, Korean people have been
developing their own unique meals. Especially after modernization and
marketization took place, various kinds of food have been converged to
create to new dishes that fundamentally changed the concept of how
Korean food is eaten. One of the most representative foods of this type
is Bibimbap, a dish in which rice and different kinds of side
dishes are mixed together. A document from the Chosun dynasty,
Kijae-jabki (寄齋雜記) [4], has records of Bibimbap. In recent times, the concept of Chigae, where kuk and side dishes are mixed with Jang, is widely used among people. On the other hand, Tang, a concept where soup and rice is mixed together. was also introduced. Examples for these kinds of soup are Kuk-bap, Seolung-tang (soup extracted from beef bone with rice) and Gom-tang. This category also includes Jang-Jorim (meat soaked or marinated in soy sauce), where side dishes (Banchan) and seasonings (Yangnyum) are mixed together, Jangachi (meat marinated in solid paste such as Doenjang or Gochujang). Beef Jang-jorim, red pepper Jang-jorim, garlic Jang-jorim, radish Jangachi, plum Jangachi, persimmon Jangachi, Deodeok (Korean mountain root plant)-Jangachi are also included here. There is also a type of food called Jeonkol, where a side dish with its own specialties along Banchan
with some meats, fishes or tofu are mixed together. In Korea, people
normally consume rice as a main dish, but when Korean people used flour
instead of rice in order to obtain calories, they did not develop
techniques for making bread as Westerners did. Instead they made foods
such as Sujebi (hand-made small pieces of dough), Myon (麵, noodles eaten with sauce or soup) and Kuksu (original Korean name, thin noodles for soup). There is a need to scientifically analyze them one by one.
- Fig. 1.A picture showing the meals of Korea (Bapsang). Korean people's meals are made up of a main rice dish (Bap), from which people get the most calories (left bottom), soup (Kuk), which allows people to chew and swallow food as well as aid in digestion (right bottom), and side dishes (Banchan), which add flavor and nutritional supplements (top and middle row). As a side dish, kimchi is always included, as are fish and one or two vegetables. Jang (Yangnyum, seasoning), which stimulate people's appetite is also included (right upper side).
In Ojuyeonmun-jangjeonsanko(五洲衍文長箋散稿) by Lee [5] document different kinds of Jangachi are recorded, and since we can see the record of Gochujang Jangachi appearing in the 19th century Juchan (酒饌) [6]. It seems that Gochujang has occupied a big part in Korean people's daily meals.
This
article will look into Gochujang, the fourth and most enjoyed component
that makes a typical Korean meal. Gochujang's functionalities and roles
will be scientifically analyzed by examining several reports.
2. The use and role of Gochujang
As previously mentioned, [7], Gochujang, along with kimchi, is one of Korea's most representative types of fermented food [8].
There are many kinds of red pepper used in other countries, such as
Thailand and Central American countries, but these varieties are too
spicy to be made into Gochujang. [9].
There are some statements made claiming that Central American red
peppers came to Korea during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592 and
that kimchi and Gochujang were developed with those peppers, but these
claims are not true [7] and [9].
There
are other aspects of Gochujang that make this red pepper sauce unique
to Korea. For instance, both eastern and the western countries commonly
use salt along with soy sauce in their pepper sauces but in Korea Jeotkal (fermented fish) and vinegar are also used. Some people categorize Jeotkal
as a side dish, but it does not serve the purpose of fulfilling the
requirements for nutrients and energy since very little of it is
consumed when eating with a meal. As such, Jeotkal should only
be considered a seasoning. Gochujang is a seasoning that is
representative of Korean cuisine, and a kind of fermented food that is
unique to Korea ( Fig. 2).
- Fig. 2.Sunchang Gochujang, famous for Gochujang. Sunchang is located in the south-west of the Korean peninsula. The story says people sent them as presents to the king. Gochujang fermented in Korean earthenware jar (Ongki).
As
a seasoning, Gochujang is eaten with other side dishes. In other cases
it can be used as a dip to add flavor o other food. For example people
eat Gochujang with cucumbers, carrots, cabbage and anchovies. Sometimes
people cut meat and fish into smaller pieces in order to dip it into the
Gochujang. Recently, in order to consume sashimi in a tastier way,
people have begun to add vinegar to Gochujang. When Korean people
barbecue pork belly and steak, they eat it with sesame salt and Doenjang
along with Gochujang. As shown in age-old documents [10], previous generations ate boiled chicken and pleasant in stir fries or in soup (See Fig. 1 in the reference [7]), (Fig. 3,
Siknyo-chanyo(食療瓚要). There are many foods prepared with Gochujang in
this manner. Another kind of food that is famous for using Gochujang is Bibimbap ( Fig. 4) [4].
When people consume this dish, which includes mixed rice, spinach,
radish, bean sprouts, and cut beef and so on, adding Gochujang allows
the ingredients to be mixed smoothly together while adding a richness to
the overall flavor. In summary, Gochujang makes a great combination
with many other Korean foods, and serves the purpose of making other
food taste better and more easily digested.
