Gochujang is most commonly sold in short, square-shaped tubs, like this one made by CJ Haechandle. Photo: Amazon
Gochujang Rising
Chefs are increasingly finding that gochujang's earthy spice pairs well with foods that are already popular in America—think grilled steak, tacos, and burgers.
"You don’t see a lot of Korean restaurants opening up all over the country," says chef Edward Lee, the Korean-born chef and owner of Louisville's 610 Magnolia and MilkWood. "They're very difficult to set up and are just not very economical as a business. So what you’re seeing instead is an explosion of traditional Korean ingredients through chefs and foodies who are using them in really nonconventional ways."
At his restaurants, Lee uses gochujang to riff on familiar foods in the American (and particularly Southern) diet. Lee swears by his gochujang butter—blended with honey, fish sauce, and soy sauce—over a simple grilled steak. And at MilkWood, he serves a popular collard greens dish cooked with gochujang and kimchi.
One reason for gochujang's burgeoning popularity is that it can easily piggy-back on already-popular, recognized flavors like barbecue sauce.
"You can take a very approachable product like ribs and give them a Korean twist and a certain level of authenticity," says Dean Small, the president and founder of Synergy Restaurant Consultants in California. "Same goes for pizza. If you can put barbecue chicken on it, could you not use a gochujang barbecue sauce?"
Small, who works with national chains and independent restaurants, says he's noticed an uptick in clients who have expressed interest in incorporating gochujang into their menus in the past three years.
The Future Is Bright (and Spicy)
Even Umami Burger, the California-based fast-casual burger chain with locations in New York, Las Vegas, and Chicago, is getting in on the gochujang craze. When the chain opened its newest location in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood two weeks ago, it also debuted a new burger inspired by the flavors of Korean barbecue. The K-BBQ burger is glazed with a reduction of gochujang and Sierra Mist, then topped with both caramelized and fresh kimchi, as well as a homemade gochujang ketchup.
