Korean Cooking Ingredients: A Comprehensive Guide
Explore this comprehensive guide to popular Korean cooking ingredients and their uses in Korean recipes. Stock these Korean pantry staples for your Korean cuisine adventure. Discover what they’re made of and how to use them in easy Korean dishes.
In order to approach Korean cuisine and how to cook Korean food with more confidence, understanding the essential Korean cooking ingredients will help you achieve that goal.
Here is a comprehensive list of common Korean pantry staples including Korean condiments, Korean produce, Korean spices, and everything you will need for your Korean pantry.
You will learn how to say ingredients in Korean for each item, what dishes it is used for, and where to buy these Korean ingredients online. Take this Korean grocery list with you next time you go out shopping at Korean grocery stores, such as H-mart, near you.
To find more detailed information about different ingredients of Korean cooking, browse my Korean pantry page. You will get more ideas on what to look for and how to store them properly.
List of Korean Pantry Staples and Essentials
Table of Contents
4 must-have Korean condiments (Jang, 장)
1. Korean soybean paste (Doenjang, 된장)
Doenjang is made of fermented soybeans. It’s a signature Korean condiment and unique to Korean cuisine. It’s a Korean pantry essential to have if you enjoy doenjang jjigae (Korean soybean paste stew).
There are several varieties that you can find in commercially produced brands. Check my Korean pantry page for more information.
- Jaeraesik doenjang (재래식) – slow fermentation for 6 months or more. It produces the Korean soup soy sauce as a by-product. It includes the remaining of soybean solids.
- Tojang (토장) – 1-2 months fermentation. The process of making this deonjang skips the traditional meju (soy paste bricks) which makes the soup soy sauce production. It also includes wheat in the process of fermentation creating sweeter in taste.
- Bori doenjang (보리된장) – Instead of rice, barley is used as a starch component.
- Joge doenjang (조개된장) – pre-seasoned paste for soups and stews. This all-in-one product that is designed to use in soups and stews. You don’t need to make a separate soup stocks since it has all the flavor included.
Most commercially made doenjang contains some wheat, which makes it difficult to be a gluten-free. This product might help you if you are looking for a gluten-free doenjang.
2. Korean chili paste (gochujang, 고추장)
Gochujang is another must-have Korean condiment. It contains fine red chili powder, barley malt, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt. Look for the label that indicates a different level of spiciness or ingredients.
- sunhan mat (순한맛) – mild taste
- maewun mat (매운맛) – spicier
- dul-maewun (덜매운) – less spicy
- taeyangcho (태양초) – includes Korean sun-dried red chili pepper as a main ingredient.
- jeju bori (제주보리) – barley is used instead of wheat or rice as a starch component.
Gochujang has a long shelf life, but once opened, it should always be stored in the refrigerator. If is is stored properly, most store-bought gochujang can last up to 2 years.
Although traditionally made homemade gochujang is naturally gluten-free, commercially made gochujang contains wheat. This product might be helpful if you are looking for a gluten-free gochujang.
3. Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a basic ingredient for Korean cooking and is a basic pantry staple for other cuisines as well.
There are two major different soy sauces are used in Korean cuisine. One is the regular soy sauce that most people are used to. The other is Korean soup soy sauce (gukganjang, 국간장), that is very unique to Korean cuisine.
Different types of soy sauce
- Yanjo-ganjang (양조간장): This soy sauce is from the naturally brewed soybeans and wheat (or rice). It is a higher quality soy sauce than the other type of soy sauce that are also commonly used.
- Jin-Ganjang (진간장): This soy sauce is a mixture of yanjo-ganjang and chemically fermented soy sauce. The cost of jin-ganjang is usually cheaper than yangjo-ganjang.
- Mat-ganjang (맛간장): It is flavored soy sauce with additives like onion, sea kelp, mushroom, and garlic. This sauce is occasionally used to add another layer of flavor in the dish.
4. Korean soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang, 국간장)
This traditional Korean soup soy sauce is known as guk-ganjang (국간장) or Chosun ganjang (조선간장) is another common Korean ingredient that you want to stock in your Korean pantry.
To learn more about how Korean soup soy sauce is made, see my Korean pantry page for more information.
Guk-ganjang is intended specifically to season Korean soups and stews. The color of Korean soup soy sauce is lighter than common soy sauce and almost translucent which makes it ideal for soups because it doesn’t discolor the soup broth. Korean soup soy sauce is also used to add the flavor depth to vegetable and meat dishes.
Essential Korean Sauces
Korean dipping sauce (ssamjang, 쌈장)
Ssamjang is a thick, spicy paste used as a dipping sauce for food wrapped in a leaf in Korean cuisine, such as grilled meats, variety type of Korean style vegetable wraps. It is also great for dipping in fresh vegetable sticks. The sauce is made of doenjang, gochujang, sesame oil, onion, garlic, green onions, and a hint of sugar.
As you can tell, commercial ssamjang comes in a green container to avoid the confusion with other Korean pastes. It is easy to make ssamjang at home. See my Bossam (Korean pork belly) post for the recipe.
NOTE: Ssamjang paste tends dry faster than other Korean condiment pastes once opened, so I recommend purchasing a smaller size container and consume it sooner. Make sure to store ssamjang in the refrigerator all the time.
Korean fish sauce (aekjeot, 액젓)
Korean fish sauce is called aekjeot and it is used in making kimchi to add flavor. Korean fish sauce is also used in soups and stews often to give more umami in the dish.
- Korean anchovy sauce (myulch aekjeot, 멸치액젓): It is made from raw anchovies and coarse sea salt through fermentation.
- Kkanari aekjeot (까나리액젓): Sand lance fish is used in place anchovies for making kkanari sauce.
Korean salted shrimp (saeu-jeot, 새우젓)
Saeu-jeot is a type of jeotgal (fish sauce) made with salted and fermented tiny shrimps. It is one of the most consumed fish sauce along with Korean anchovy sauce in Korean cuisine.
You will find salted shrimp in the refrigerated section at Korean grocery stores. Once opened, it will last about 4-6 months.
Essential Korean Spices
Korean chili flakes (gochugaru, 고춧가루)
Korean red chili flakes are sun-dried red chilies that have been crushed into either flakes or powdered form. Learn more about gochugaru in my Korean pantry. There are two types that you need to be aware of.
- Coarse chili Flakes (gochugaru): This type is perhaps the most widely used and well known to Korean cuisine. This all-purpose gochugaru is used making variety of kimchi recipes, and other Korean dishes that require a spicy heat.
- Fine chili Powder (go-un gochugaru): This is a powder form of Korean dried chilies that has been finely grounded. This chili powder is mainly used for making homemade gochujang (Korean chili paste). However, some Korean dishes, like spicy Korean rice cakes, use this particular fine chili powder for added spiciness and color without clouding with speckles of chili flakes.
Storage Tip: Korean chili flakes and chili powder should always be kept in the freezer once the package is opened. They can last up to 3 years if kept in the freezer.
Sesame oil (chamgirum, 참기름)
Korean sesame oil (chamgirum, 참기름) is made by pressing toasted sesame seeds. It’s one of the most distinctive, fragrant and flavorful oils in cooking with a very deep, nutty aroma. I recommend Korean sesame oil pressed with Korean origin sesame seeds.
Perilla oil (deulgirum, 들기름)
Deulgirum (들기름) is produced by cold-pressing toasted perilla seeds. It is used as a flavor enhancer, condiment, and cooking oil in Korean cuisine. Southern Korean style anchovy kimchi stew uses this oil for its distinctive flavor and aroma.
Sesame seeds (chamkkae, 참깨)
Sesame seeds (chamkkae, 참깨) are widely used in Korean cooking for seasoning and garnishing. The flavor and aroma of sesame seeds are enhanced when they are gently roasted.
You can purchase un-roasted (toasted) raw sesame seeds (참깨) and toast them yourself over low heat until nicely browned and nutty. Or purchase pre-roasted sesame seeds in the bottle. There are two kinds.
- Toasted whole sesame seeds (bokkeum tongkkae, 볶은 통깨)
- Toasted and crushed sesame seeds (kkaesogeum, 깨소금)
Korean syrups
Sweet syrup is often used in Korean dishes where it needs subtle sweetness and lust. There are three common types of Korean syrups that you will often find in the stores. Check my Korean pantry page for more information about these Korean syrups.
- Corn syrup (mul-yeot, 물엿) is made from corn and widely used in Korean cuisine as a mild sweetener. The clear translucency gives a shiny look on the dish.
- Rice syrup, (ssal- jocheong, 쌀조청 or jocheong, 조청), is made with rice and barley malt powder. It has thicker consistency than corn syrup and has a malty and rich flavor.
- Oligo syrup (oligo-dang, 올리고당), also known as oligosaccharide, is another version of rice syrup that often replace the corn syrup in the recipe. Jocheong tends to have a higher in calories and absolved into body quickly. Oligo syrsup is slow in absorption and less sweet (less calories).
Korean plum extract (maeshil-cheong, 매실청)
Korean plum syrup (Maesil cheong, 매실청) is another popular sweetener as a sugar alternative. Due to the alleged health benefits of green plums (muesli) aged in sugar, it adds a a sweet and mildly tangy taste and brightens up your dish.
Find health benefit of Korean plum extract and its usage in my Korean pantry page.
Other pantry items
Dried anchovies (myeolchi, 멸치)
Dried anchovies (myeolchi, 멸치) are commonly used from making soup stocks to stir-fries , or even as salty snacks. There are three different sizes and each has its own usage.
- Dashi myulchi (다시멸치) – These large anchovies are mainly for making Korean soup stocks and broth.
- Bokkeum myeolchi (볶음멸치) – Medium size anchovies are for making side dish called myeulchi bokkeum; a stir-fried anchovy side dish.
- Jiri myeolchi (지리멸치) – Tiny anchovies are also in making side dish. They are often added in a rice dish to give umami taste, too. See my oyster soft tofu rice bowl for the idea.
Dried Shrimp (mallin saeu, 말린새우)
Korean dried shrimp are shrimp that have been sun-dried and shrunk to a thumbnail size. They are used in many Korean cuisines, with a unique umami taste. Usually a handful of shrimp is simmered in water to release the flavor.
Dried sea kelp (dashima, 다시마)
It’s an edible sea kelp commonly used in making Korean stocks for making various soups and stews. and other dishes. Dashima adds subtle umami flavor without overpowering the dish.
It is sold in huge sheets and you can cut it into various size of squares depending on the recipe needs.
Korean black bean paste (chunjang, 춘장)
Korean black bean paste (chungjang, 춘장) is made of fermented soybean, wheat flour, and caramel coloring. It is the key ingredient for making Korean style black bean noodles dish called “Jjajangmyeon (짜장면)”.
You can purchase either regular chujang, which requires frying in a little amount of oil prior using in in the recipe, or get already pre-roasted chunjang in a jar.
Seasoned gochujang (cho-gochujang, 초고추장 or bibimjang, 비빔장)
These bottled gochujang sauce has additional seasoning and flavor to plain gochujang. It is a ready-to -go gochujang sauce to use for bibimbap, dipping sauce or to top up the grilled meat.
Korean pancake mix (buchimgaru, 부침가루)
Commercially made Korean pancake mix (buchimgaru) is a pantry staple in Korean kitchen. It makes a variety of Korean pancakes such as haemul pajeon and kimchi jeon. Buchimgaru is a mix of different types of flours, other seasonings, and baking powder. It gives a crispier texture to savory pancakes.
Korean frying mix (tuigimgaru, 튀김가루)
Korean frying mix (tuigimgaru) is pre-seasoned flour mix for making Korean tempura-style crispy fried vegetable, prawns, chicken etc. It is similar to Japanese tempura but the seasoning and texture are slightly little different.
Chicken frying mix (chicken tuigimgaru, 치킨 튀김가루)
Chicken frying mix (chicken tuigimgaru) is a spin-off version of frying mix formulated for making fried chicken. The mix has combination of flour, corn, starch, and other seasonings to make the chicken crunchy when deep fried.
Types of Korean flours and starch
Some of these flours and starch are often found in Korean pantry.
- Rice flour (ssalgaru, 쌀가루) – made with short grain rice.
- Sweet rice flour (chapssal-garu) – made with sweet glutenous rice
- Cornstarch (oksusu jeonbun, 옥수수전분)
- Potato starch (gamja jeonbun, 감자전분 or gamja-garu, 감자가루)
- Acorn jelly starch (dotori-muk garu, 도토리묵 가루 ) – flour made with acorn starch
- Mung bean starch (cheongpodo-muk garu, 청포도묵 가루) – flour made with mung bean starch to make Korean jelly salad
Korean glass noodles (dangmyeon, 당면)
If you enjoy Japcahe (Korean noodle stir-fry), these glass noodles are a must have in your Korean pantry. Korean Sweet Potato Noodles (dangmyeon, 당면) is clear dried noodles made out of purified sweet potato starch.
Dried noodles
Dried wheat or rice noodles (vermicelli) are also available for other types of Korean noodle dishes
- Vermicelly noodles (somyeon, 소면) – dried thin wheat noodles for making noodles with beef sauce, or simple one pot noodles with vegetables.
- Soba noodles (maemil guksu, 메밀국수) – noodles made with buckwheat flour. This noodle is used in sesame soba noodles recipe.
- Rice vermicelli (ssal somyeon, 쌀소면) – vermicelli made with rice flour instead of wheat. Great for gluten-free diet.
Meat, fresh produce, and cold staples
Beef (Sogogi, 소고기)
Various cuts of Korean beef are found in the meat section if Korean stores.
- Korean beef short ribs for braising (jjim galbi, 찜갈비) – These beef short ribs are mainly for making Korean braised beef (galbi jjim) or beef short rib soup.
- Korean short ribs for BBQ (gui glabi, 구이갈비)– beef ribs are sliced in later angle so that it shows 3 rib bones on each slices. This particular ribs are for making LA style Korean bbq.
- Beef bulgogi slice (bulgogi-yong sogogi, 불고기용 소고기) – thinly sliced beef ribeye or sirloin are for making bulgogi (Korean beef). The slices are packed together and often sold as frozen. Make sure to thaw it completely before adding to the marinade.
- Beef brisket (jangjorim sogogi, 장조림 소고기) – a chunk of brisket is for making spicy Korean beef soup (yukgaejang) or soy braised Korean beef side dish (jangjorim).
Pork (dueji gogi, 돼지고기)
Koreans love pork, especially the pork belly called samgyupsal (삼겹살). Another common pork cut is pork shoulder (or neck). It’s widely used in stir-fries and braised dishes.
- Pork belly (samgyupsal, 삼겹살) – You can find either a chunk of pork belly for making bossam or thinly shaved pork belly for grilling or pan-frying. Thick pork belly is available in either with skin-on or skinless depending on your personal preference
- Pork short ribs (dueji galbi, 돼지갈비) – pork short ribs make delicious Korean braised pork short ribs. You can use with other marinade to make pork galbi-jjim.
- Shaved pork belly (daepae samgyupsal, 대패삼겹살) – These thinly shave pork belly slices are great for a quick grilled pork bbq wrap with lettuce and ssamjang sauce.
- Pork shoulder (dueji moksal, 돼지목살) – comes in either in thick or thin slices. They are great for making spicy Korean pork bulgogi and other pork stir-fry dishes.
Fish (saengsun, 생선)
Fish dishes are often found in many local Korean cuisine. There are so many different types of fishes and other seafood are consumed in Korea. These 4 variety is, perhaps, the most common types you will see in a Koreans store.
- Mackerel (godeunguh, 고등어) – This blue-backed fish is perhaps the most common fish dishes you will see. Pan-fried mackerel with spicy sauce (gogalbi), or braised mackerel with radish is well known Korean dish
- Yellow croaker (jogi, 조기) – This white flesh fish is often salted and let it dried halfway to make gulbi (굴비). Jogi is great for grilling, or making into spicy yellow craoker fish stew.
- Fluke (gajami, 가자미) – This flat fish is one of my favorites. It has tender white flesh with buttery taste. Fluke is great for both grilling, pan-frying and quick stew dishes.
- Belt fish (galchi, 갈치) – This silver skinned long shiny fish is very popular in Korea. You can cut into sections and grill it until golden brown, or simmer with a few pieces of radish in a spicy sauce.
Tofu (dubu, 두부)
Tofu (dubu, 두부) is made by coagulating soy milk and pressing the curds into blocks. Tofu became a staple ingredients in Korean cuisine. Korean tofu (dubu, 두부) is used in many soups (guk, 국), stews (jjigae, 찌개), and side dishes (banchan, 반찬).
Korean tofu is divided into three texture types: Firm, soft, and silken (or extra soft).
- Firm tofu (buchim-yong dubu, 부침용 두부) – firm tofu is mostly used in stir-fries and pan-fried dishes as you see in my crispy Korean pan-fried tofu and meat tofu patties.
- Soft tofu (jjigae-yong dubu, 찌개용 두부) – soft tofu has more water content and retains its soft texture without falling apart even after the long simmering. It’s widely used in soups and stews like Classic doenjang jjigae, and kimchi jjigae. It is also used in side dishes like tofu with egg and tomato, Korean watercress tofu salad.
- Silken tofu (saengsik-yong dubu, 생식용 두부, or yeondubu, 연두부) – Silken tofu is undrained, unpressed tofu that has the highest water content and a custard-like texture. It comes in either in a tube, or in a plastic container. We call silken tofu as soondubu (in tube) or yeondubu (in container) depending on the type of dish that this tofu is used, but it is all the same silken tofu. Soondubu jjiage or quick soft fofu side dish is a well known example of this tofu.
Produce – vegetables (야채)
- Napa cabbage (baechu, 배추) – for making cabbage kimchi and other side dish. Look for heavy and densely packed head of cabbage.
- Korean radish (mu, 무) – Korean radish has light green on the bottom. It’s sweeter and crispier than Japanese daikon radish. It makes radish kimchi , other radish side dishes or radish soup.
- Perilla leaf (kkaennip, 깻잎) is a fragrant herb that are unique to Korean cuisine. Similar to Japanese shiso leaves, the flavor of perilla has notes of anise or licorice.
- Asian leek (daepa, 대파) – Asian leek is tender and milder than western leek. Even the green part of the leek is tender and usable in the dishes.
- Asian chives (buchu, 부추) – Asian chives are milder than western garlic chives and has a pleasing fragrance to it. Buchu kimchi is a great dish to use up a bundle of Asian chives.
Bean Sprouts and Garlic
- Soybean sprouts (kongnamul, 콩나물) – for making bean sprout side dish and bean sprout soup.
- Mung bean sprouts (sukju namul, 숙주나물) – for stir-fries and sprout side dishes.
- Peeled garlic (kkan maneul, 깐마늘)
Mushrooms (Beoseot, 버섯)
There are several varieties of Korean mushrooms used in Korean cuisine. Here are the four most commonly used variations and their usage in the recipes.
- Shiitake mushroom (pyogo beoseot, 표고 버섯) – chayote mushroom stir-fry, pumpkin mushroom risotto,
- Oyster mushroom (neutari, 느타리 버섯) – bulgogi hotpot, yukgaejang, spicy chicken soup
- King oyster mushroom (saesongi, 새송이 버섯) – These mushrooms are great for grilling.
- Enoki mushrooms (paengi, 팽이 버섯) – bulgogi hotpot, mushroom rice bowl
Prepared Korean Food
Instant Korean spicy rice cake (tteokbokki, 떡볶이)
Prepared tteokbokki comes handy and quick to fix right out or package. You can choose from street style tteokbokki to cheesy or soup tteokbokki.
Wheat noodles (guksu, 국수)
Fresh wheat noodles are found in a refrigerator section. You will also find instant noodle packages in different types and flavors in the same area. They are handy to stock in the fridge to satisfy for your noodle craving quickly.
- Knife cut noodles (kalguksu, 칼국수) – Thick and slightly flat wheat noodles for making Korean knife cut noodle soup.
- Udon or black bean dish noodles (udon or jjajang guksu, 우동 짜장국수) – Thick chunky wheat noodles for making udon soup or jjajangmyeon.
- Spicy cold noodles (nangmyeon, 냉면 or jjolmyeon, 쫄면) – You can make spicy cold noodles (nangmyeon) from scratch but the prepared cold noodle packages are also tasty and much quicker to prepare. Both noodles have similar in taste but comes in different thickness of the noodles. If you prefer thin noodles, choose nangmyeon.
Other popular prepared food
Various Korean prepared food and fish cakes (eomuk, 어묵) are also available in the refrigerator sections. The most common items you will find are;
- frozen Tonkatsu (돈가스) patties
- cheese balls (치즈볼)
- dumplings (mandu, 만두)
- corn dogs (It is called hot dog in Korean, 핫도그)
- potato chips (yangnyeum gamja, 양념감자)
- fish cake balls (eomuk 어묵) and fish cake sheets (sagak eomuk, 사각어묵)
- fish cake hot bars (hot bar, 핫바)
There you have it! Hope this Korean grocery list will help you find the right items you are looking for your next Korean cooking adventure. Please check my online store for more Korean grocery items you might like.
I have not found gochugaru where the chili was grown and farmed in Korea (not even in HMart). Would you suggest a brand?
Thanks.
Hi Yvonne
Korean origin gochugaru is often hard to find in off-line. Try this brand in amazon.
https://amzn.to/3LgeoQJ
This is Korean American brand.
Lakehouse Farms 100% Organic Korean Chili Pepper Flakes/Powder (Gochugaru) – The only US Grown and US Organic Certified Korean Pepper Flakes (6 oz) https://a.co/d/1bihY7g
Thank you for sharing all the ingredients used in Korean cooking. I’m African American both my parents are from North Carolina so I grew up eating southern food quite often. I’m a foodie but I’m obsessed with Korean food, I love the way you prepare your foods and you always include a lot of veggies. I love vegetables. I will make a list of everything you listed. I live in Hartford CT and we have a huge Asian market called Adong Market. It carries a large assortment of everything you listed.
Happy New Year 🍾
Hi Tonya
It’s so good to hear that you love Korean food. I love southern American food, too (Shrimp and grits is one of my favorite!). Yes, Korean food uses lots of vegetables in our cuisine. Hope you find many dishes in my website and be able to make them at home. Don’t hesitate to ask me with any question regarding the recipe. Thanks!
I’m African American as well and love Korean food..I went to H-Mart today and spent over a $100 dollars on seafood, meat, poultry, vegetables, and Korean condiments that are used in their dishes on a daily basis..I’ve also tried my hands at some of the Korean dishes, of course the easy ones..I’m like so obsessed with their culture and foods.
Visit SFMart.com to order Korean ingredients.
K-Shop – http://www.korean-shop.ro
Korean online store for Romania. You can find here Korean ingredients and not only^^
This post was very helpful…. I shop at an HMart a few miles from me occasionly.( after I save some money up to get a lot of things) : ) . Thank you for the hard work you put into it
Hi there. I found this via a Google search and love the suggestions! I’ve been shopping at Hmart for a few years and this explained questions I still had about some of the products!! I’ll always remember the first time I made soondubu and didn’t use Korean red pepper flakes, but used the ones I would get at the local store…. Let’s just say a taste test sample was way too spicy! Thanks again for your suggestions.
Hi Holly: I am Canadian and have found Korean foods in Canada in a grocery chain called T&T Supermarkets. They are located in major cities west of Quebec or online..
thanks…enjoy your posts very much.
Thanks for the information, Karen!
Thank you very much. Finally understand what’s what, especially all the sauces
Great post! I love Korean foods and am forever searching for new recipes and ingredients. My husband on the other hand is blasé about it.
Lakewood, Washington (near Joint Base Lewis McCord) has an entire Korean commercial section with an H Mart (new), a Bo Han grocery store and a large Shin Shin store. I have yet to explore the other Korean-based stores. As a non-Korean, I’ve shopped there and come home with items I only had a vague idea how to use. This was very helpful. I now know the difference in my miso-pastes.
Im indonesian and i have huge passion for everything about korea. I love korean food & often cook it at home We have so many korean stores in Jakarta. The biggest one is Mu Gung Hwa, they even have some branches in Jakarta. Other stores are New Seoul, K-Mart, Hanil Mart, Wijaya Mart, Lotte Mart and more (i forgot the name). Unlimited access!! yay!! Try searching about korean community in indonesia (esp. in Jakarta), its HUGE!! Btw, i really love your blog, keep posting and get well soon. xx
Thank you very much for this wonderful post! I am an American completely in LOVE with Korean food. I have started to cook some of the recipes at home and need as much help as possible. I shop at our local international store and see all of these items….THANK GOODNESS. I have had questions about many of these ingredients and this has covered all of them. Now I finally know what is in the green container for example :). Thanks again!
I did a google search for a Dak-galbi recipe and found your blog and all it’s treasures! We are an American family stationed in Korea and I love Korean food and culture but have been a little afraid to venture into the local grocery stores for fear that I won’t know how to find what I’m looking for. You have laid to rest all my fears! I cannot wait to get out to the local stores and start shopping! Thank you!
If I’d live in the US, I would immediately go to this store! There seems to be an endless variety of products – everything I’ve ever dreamed of 🙂 Unfortunately, I have almost zero access to good quality korean food products ….I could cry a river ㅠㅠ Our Asia section in the supermarket…well…I once stood in front of it and thought they’re seriously kidding me -.- ‘You’re joking, right!?’ I said to the shelves….gaahh they have nothing I could use 🙁 I live in Germany btw ^^ There are korean & japanese supermarkets here in Germany but I’d have to drive about 2h30min to reach them and my parents don’t want to do this. Meanies 🙁
However, there’s one internet website of one of those supermarkets, it’s called daeyang.de 🙂 So, it’s an Asian food online shop – of course only deliveries in Germany 😉 My last hope :’)
Thanks for this post, it’s really helpful 😀 I’m glad I can read (and understand – a bit) korean o3o
Other German links are asiakauf.com and asiafoodland.de. 🙂
I am SOOOO happy I found your blog!!!! I can’t stop reading. In addition, I’m so excited to read this post. I live near Chicago and there is a Super H Mart 1 hour away from me. ROAD TRIP and Adventure awaits!!!! Thank you! 🙂
Wow, amazing post! Super helpful for someone who is clueless when it comes to Korean products. Thanks 🙂
Loved this article. I’m adopted and I’m Korean trying to learn some authentic dishes to share with my family.We have tried alot and are lucky too have alot of Korean market’s here but it’s great to learn what the staples are to keep in the pantry.
I’ve been Korean my whole life and yet still try to navigate these aisles. Thank you for arming me to cook more Korean!
Thanks a million for this Holly! Very helpful to a non-Korean who loves eating and cooking Korean dishes!
I have just returned from a week in Seoul, inspired & determined to recreate some of the wonderful food I loved so much out there. Your blog is amazing and this post in particular SO helpful, explaining th staples of Korean cooking. Thanks so much!
Hi Micol
I am glad that this post is helpful to you. Hope you get to cook delicious Korean food soon.
Hi! I was wondering if I only have small anchovies can I use them to make stock? Also what brand of the larger rice cakes, the ones you used in your street food recipe, do you use? Thanks! I love your site!
Hi Kathryn
Yes, you can use small anchovies to make stock. You will need more since they are smaller. For the brand of rice cakes, I don’t particurailly remember the brand name I used. If you are making tteokbokki, the spicy rice cake, any rice cake sticks they sell in Korean stores will work.
Thanks.
I used to shop at the Assi Plaza supermarkets in Duluth and Suwanee, Ga., before moving to Alabama (where I make do with a Chinese supermarket for Korean ingredients or reasonable approximations) – I looked them up and apparently there are several in other states too – http://www.lotteplaza.com/branch/branch.php?Id=62&lan=ENG – so those may be an option for other readers as well.
Hi Holly, I enjoyed your post! I don’t go to H Mart in my city much(Vancouver, BC) because it tends to be more expensive and there are soooooo many family owned Korean grocery that are extremely well stocked and cheaper. I just love popping by once in a while just to browse. There’s one just simly called Kim’s mart. I also love Korean bakery. One thing, I’m pretty sure deul-gireum, is made from perilla plant, known as deul-ggae to koreans even though they are not botanically related at all. I guess they are culinurily related. And the leaves are again perilla leaves.
Thanks Freddie for clarification. You are right. Deul-gireum is from the seeds of perilla plant. They are less fragrant that sesame oil. Most Koreans use the toasted and grounded seeds of perilla plant to make many vegetable side dishes or add to the soup. Adds very nice nutty flavor than the oil. The oil goes rancid faster than the sesame oil, so buy the small bottle and keep in the fridge.
Thank you for letting us know.
There are also koreana plaza & country square market all over northern ca 🙂
ratedkb.blogspot.com
I am glad to hear that there is a good Korean groceries in Pittsburgh. Thanks.
There's a great Korean market in Pittsburgh on Forward Avenue called Young's. They have all of the items you feature (though their meat is frozen).
Hello! we have a korean/japanese shop here in Cardiff, it is very small, but has lots of treasures! http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/cardiff-korean-and-japanese-food-cardiff
Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom and your recipes, I love your blog!
Becky xxx
Great post! Now I know what's in all those little plastic tubs! BTW, we have a new H-Mart in Houston, TX now. Wonderful store.
Thank you! This is very useful.
Oh, thank you very much, I am excited to find some of these new things. I appreciate the photos, too!
Great post! I am a Korean-American and found your tips very helpful, especially the brand recommendations. Thanks for the tip on storing the gim packages in the freezer. Happy new year!