Pantry Essentials for Vegan Korean Cooking - My must-have condiments for vegan (and vegetarian) Korean cooking! Find out what they are, their flavor profile, purchase and storage information, and how to use them in delicious dishes!
5 Korean Pantry Essentials (for vegan/vegetarian cooking)
Although Korean food is gaining popularity, unfamiliar ingredients can intimidate some people from cooking Korean food at home. Today, I want to share my 5 Korean pantry essentials for vegan and vegetarian cooking.
The 5 Korean pantry essentials are:
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
- Gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
- Yondu (Korean vegetable umami seasoning sauce)
I want to talk about its flavor profile, the proper way to store, where to purchase, my recommended products, and how to cook with it. Are you ready? Let's get started!
1. Korean Pantry Essential - Soy sauce 간장
Different types of soy sauce
There are 3 different types of soy sauce in Korea.
First is Soup soy sauce (국간장). It is not as black in color as other soy sauces and it is the saltiest. This soy sauce is great for seasoning soup (as the name indicates) and season the blanched vegetable dishes.
The second type of soy sauce is Jin soy sauce (진간장). It has been fermented longest (up to 5 years). So it has a dark color and sweeter than other soy sauces. Because of these characteristics, it is best for stir-fry dishes or any dishes that require cooking.
The third type of soy sauce is the one I use the most. It is called Yang-Jo soy sauce (양조간장). This soy sauce is best for eating it as is. So this is great for eating your sushi or making a salad. Once this soy sauce is cooked, it loses its flavor a little bit. But I find this soy sauce to be most versatile and I have this type at all time in my pantry.
Flavor profile and storage information
Soy sauce is salty and savory. Some might say there is a hint of sweetness especially in dark soy sauce or Jin soy sauce.
Soy sauce can be store in a cool and dark place. However, to preserve its flavor and freshness, you should keep your soy sauce in the refrigerator.
Recommended product
I almost always buy my soy sauce at a Korean grocery store. They are a lot cheaper compare to those in American grocery stores or online.
If you are buying soy sauce in American grocery stores, buy the soy sauce that does not have vinegar in it. Kikkoman Soy Sauce (low sodium) is easy to find and a good soy sauce. If you can find the Sempio brand (Korean brand), this is the soy sauce that my family likes to use. You can find Sempio Premium soy sauce online.
Where to use soy sauce
2. Korean Pantry Essential - Sesame oil 참기름
Flavor profile and storage information
Sesame oil is very nutty in taste. Most of the time, Korean cuisine uses sesame oil as a finishing oil. When sesame oil is heated, it loses its flavor significantly. However, it's very common to use sesame oil to sauteed aromatics to develop flavor in many soup dishes in Korea.
You should treat sesame oil like any other oil. Keep it in a cool and dry area away from sunlight and heat. To preserve its flavor, it is recommended to store them in the fridge.
Recommended product
I actually like this Japanese brand for sesame oil. For as long as I remember, my mom used this brand and I find this brand to have a better flavor than other Korean brands of sesame oil.
Where to use sesame oil
Japchae and rice seasoning for Kimbap are great ways to highlight the nutty flavor of the sesame oil.
3. Korean Pantry Essential - Gochujang 고추장 (Korean red pepper paste)
Flavor profile and storage information
Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) is a fermented chili paste that tastes spicy, sweet, and savory.
Unopened gochujang can be stored in cool and dark places away from the heat source for a long time. However, once opened, you should keep them in a refrigerator for freshness. It may get darker in color and dry out a little bit after a while but it is perfectly safe to consume.
Recommended product
Some people may have a specific preference for gochujang. But I personally think there isn't that big of a difference. I usually pick up what's on sale at a local Korean grocery store. Chung Jung One and CJ Haechandle are popular brands for gochujang.
Where to use Gochujang
Gochujang is delicious as is and in a cooked dish. It is the main ingredient in bibimbap sauce. Gochujang is also great in spicy and sweet braised potato and shishito pepper dish.
4. Korean Pantry Essential - Gochugaru 고추가루 (Korean red pepper flakes)
Flavor profile and storage information
Korean red pepper flakes have a spicy taste with warmth to it. It is not as pungent and upfront spicy as cayenne pepper but it has a lingering heat to it. It also has a rich red color that tends to bleed into other ingredients that come in contact with gochugaru.
Gochugaru should be stored in an airtight bag/container and kept in a freezer. The air, heat, and light oxidize gochugaru and it loses its potency and color. Once the gochugaru turns dark red to brown color (compare to its bright red original color), you know it has lost its flavor.
When gochugaru is kept in freezer, it should last up to 8 to 9 months.
Recommended product
Ever since my mom moved back to Korea, she sent me the gochugaru from Korea that my uncle farmed himself. The color is vibrant and it is spicier than the one I used to buy at a Korean grocery store.
I recommend products that are made in Korea. What I don't recommend is a product that packages gochugaru in a conventional spice bottle. Most gochugaru from Korea is packaged in a large bag that weighs at least a pound. Don't pay for over-priced gochugaru that may not be enough to make even one dish.
Where to use
Kimchi is one of the dishes that represent Korean food and gochugaru is one of the main ingredients in making delicious kimchi. I have a vegan kimchi recipe that I absolutely love. Another recipe to highlight its bright color and warmth of gochugaru is my vegan mushroom yukgaejang soup. It is a traditional Korean beef soup made in a vegan version.
5. Korean Pantry Essential - Yondu 연두 (Korean vegetable umami seasoning sauce)
Flavor profile and storage information
This ingredient may not be familiar to even some Korean people. It's called Yondu. I know it spells and sounds the same as the character from Marvel Guardians of the galaxy. But it is vegetable umami plant-based seasoning sauce.
It tastes similar to soy sauce but with so much umami. It is like concentrated vegetable broth meets soy sauce with a hint of nutritional yeast. And those are precisely the ingredients of this sauce.
You can store Yondu in your pantry and it is shelf-stable for up to 2 years.
Recommended product
You can purchase Yondu at your local Korean grocery store. But you can also purchase them online.
Where to use Yondu
Sempio (the brand that makes Yondu) recommends using Yondu in sauteeing vegetables, pasta and grains, and soups and stews. I personally love to use Yondu in my vegan yukgaejang and miso soup. I know miso soup is Japanese food but I want to communicate that Yondu gives that extra umami punch to the broth.
Let's recap!! My 5 Korean pantry essentials for vegan cooking are soy sauce, sesame oil, gochujang, gochugaru, and Yondu. I can assure you that you can make many delicious Korean vegan and vegetarian dishes!
Happy eating, my friends!
Helen
This is a very informative post! I'm half Korean & grew up around Korean food. I can attest to the usage of all of these except for the yondu. But yondu seems similar to the dashida powder that Koreans use in their stews, soups, and other foods.. is that the case?
George
Thank you so much! This means a lot! And YES!! Yondu is like Dashida except Yondu is MSG-free (not that I have a problem with MSG but a lot of people are not huge fans) and it's also plant-based. Most Dashida I know has either beef extract or seafood extract. So I find Yondu to be a very good substitution for vegan cooking!
Shayne
Are all gocuchang brands vegan?
George
Hi, Shayne. All gochujang are vegan but it's difficult to say whether all brands are vegan or not. I recommend reading the label carefully especially the ingredient list and where it is processed. I believe Chung-Jung-One O'Food and CJ Haechandle are vegan. Hope this helps!