Korean groceries

I am a lover of Korean cuisine and I am always keen to cook and eat Korean food, and that requires a good, personal stock of essential Korean groceries. As I'll be sharing plenty of Korean recipes on my blog, I thought it was important to have a post outlining some key Korean ingredients so that my recipes are easier to follow.

Where to buy Korean groceries? 

Now that I live in Montpellier, there are two ways I buy Korean groceries: online and in store. For online shopping, I use KJfoods.de - I say I use it, it's my partner who uses it because the site is in Korean but it's fairly easy to navigate regardless (with a little help from Google Translate!). As the company is based in Germany, delivery is quick and very reliable, and for Korean shopping this has proven to be the cheapest way to shop. The store has a huge variety of groceries, including electronics and kitchenware as well as food items. 

There are two stores in Montpellier that we visit, Paris Store (22 Rue Robert Schuman, Saint-Jean-de-Védas) and China Vina (1 Route de la Foire, Pérols) `- both are Asian supermarkets so they don't have all the necessary Korean ingredients, but they do have some of them and alternatives of others so they're not bad options if you actually want to physically purchase some things.

When I lived in Barry, I used Cardiff Korean & Japanese Food, a great little shop in Cardiff that has all the Korean goods you'll need plus some groceries from other Asian countries.

Failing the options above, there are many options to find Korean groceries online and my Korean cook idol, Maangchi, has a super useful list of Korean grocery stores on her website, so check that out here.

간장 / Ganjang / Soy sauce

Soy sauce is an important staple in many Asian cuisines and that is certainly true for Korea. Our preferred soy sauce is the Sempio brand which is a little lighter than traditional Korean soy sauce and it packs a delicious umami saltiness with a little sweetiness.

Soy sauce is the base flavour to so many Korean dishes that it would be irresponsible not to always have some in stock! It also makes a really great dip to many Korean meals and can be used in non-Korean recipes to give sauces a deeper flavour.

고추장 / Gochujang / Red (hot) pepper paste

Gochujang is another importent ingredient to keep around, and a tasty one too. Gochujang is a fermented condiment made from chilli powder, rice, fermented soybean and malt that is sweet, savoury and spicy - the signature combination of flavours of Korea.

The greatest benefit to gochujang is that the heat is balanced out by sweetness which adds to the flavour of a dish rather than just increasing the heat.

(Keep in the fridge once opened)

고추가루 / Gochugaru / Red (hot) pepper flakes

Gochugaru is literally made from pulverised chili pepper which adds chilli heat to a dish. The flakes are coarse and range in colour from bright red, to dark red, to orange.

Buying gochugaru can prove difficult because there are so many varities. I would advise never going for the spiciest (because it's super spicy!) and always aim to get a dark red variety which has a rounder flavour. Don't get red pepper flakes confused with red pepper powder - the powder is much finer and is often used to make gochugaru.

(Keep in the freezer once opened)

된장 / Doenjang / Fermented soybean paste

Doenjang is very important to Korean kitchens as it is used in countless Korean recipes. Full of umami, this paste is nutty and has a deep, salty flavour. It is comparable to miso, a better known and vaguely similar condiment from Japan.

Doenjang is made from fermenting soy bean paste over a number of months, the liquid produced from the fermentation process is the main ingredient in soy sauce.

(Keep in the fridge once opened)

춘장 / Chunjang / Black bean paste

Chunjang is a deliciously salty-sweet black paste made from fermented soy beans, wheat flour and caramel. It is the essential ingredient in one of my favourite Korean dishes, jjajangmyeon, noodles in black bean sauce.

If you're brave enough, chunjang can also be used as a dip for raw onions and danmuji (yellow pickled radish).

(Keep in the fridge once opened)

미림 / Mirim / Cooking wine

Mirim is a cooking wine that adds sweetness to a dish or is used to remove unfavorable smells from fish and meat. Where recipies call for mirim, it is possible to substitute it with a water-sugar solution, just be careful with the balance!

액젓 / Aekjeot / Fish sauce & 굴소스 / Kulsosuh / Oyster sauce

 
Fish sauce is important for adding savouriness, sweetness and umami. Oyster sauce is much darker and thicker than fish sauce and adds a real kick of flavour, it also darkens your dish and can make sauces thicker.

Vegetarians can substitute these with additional soy sauce and rice syrup (or sugar/honey).

(Keep both in the fridge once opened)

가래떡 / Garaetteok / Rice cakes

 Garaetteok are long and cylindrical 'cakes' made from rice. As they are made from rice, they are pretty bland on their own, but they're meant to be eaten with dishes with plenty of sauce which provides the flavour. Garaetteok are very popular and very traditional in Korea for their super-chewy goodness and it is the main ingredient in the traditional Korean New Year dish, tteokguk, rice cake soup.

(Keep in the freezer)

물엿 / Mulyeot / Corn syrup & 쌀엿 / Ssalyeot / Rice syrup

Mulyeot pictured - sorry about the import label!

Mulyeot and ssalyeot are a sweet syrups made from corn and  rice respectively and are used to add sweetnes to dishes. Mulyeot, the clear corn syrup, is often used in stir-frys and ssalyeot, the brown rice syrup, can be used to help thicken sauces and to add a glossy shine. Although it's worth saying that the two are in most cases interchangeable. 

단무지 / Danmuji / Yellow pickled radish

Danmuji is a sweet and sour pickled mu (white radish) that is an essential ingredient in gimbap, a really popular Korean food vaguely similar, though in my opinion superior, to sushi. It also makes a great and easy side dish.

Mu (right) is used to make danmuji

(Keep in the fridge once opened)

우엉 / Ueong / Burdock root

Ueong is a crisp and earthy root that is another vital ingredient to gimbap. Ueong is also a superfood given that it is full of fibre and has been shown to aid blood circulation.

You can find ueong sold as either a dried root or a softer vacuum-packed pickle-like version. You'll need the latter for gimbap but the former is popular right across Asia for making tea, ueong cha in Korea. 

(Keep in the fridge once opened)

김 / Gim / Dried seaweed

Gim is dried seaweed in the form of a thin sheet. Seaweed is an incredibly healthy food and is a really great source of protein, iron, iodine and numerous vitamins. Gim is often used as a topping or as a snack served as it comes, it is also instrumental in the popular dish gimbap as it acts like a wrap.

(Keep in the freezer)

볶은깨 / Bokkeun-kkae / Toasted sesame seeds

Sesame seeds may be small but they punch way above their weight in terms of flavour, adding a delicious nuttiness to meals. Their wide availability, easy of use and strong flavour make them an incredibly popular topping in Korean dishes.

Sesame seeds can be bought pre-toasted or raw (labelled simply 'sesame seeds') - toasting is important because it enhances that nutty flavour and even pre-toasted sesame seeds can benefit from a little extra toasting. 

This list is, of course, not exhaustive but I've found that it's useful to have these ingredients around for authentic Korean cuisine. Most other ingredients for my recipes can be bought in any supermarket, particularly meat and vegetables, and they're also easy to substitute. If I come across any other important Korean ingredients, I'll add to this list so keep checking this page!