Guide · Pantry Basics
Getting Started with Korean Cooking: The 3 Sauces You Need
It's okay — you don't need a trip to a specialty store, and you don't need all three at once. Once you have even one of these three sauces in your kitchen, a huge range of Korean dishes stops being intimidating. Here's what each one actually does, and exactly what to look for on the shelf.
간장 (Ganjang / Soy Sauce)
Salty and savory — this is the base seasoning under most Korean dishes, the same role soy sauce plays in a lot of East Asian cooking. Korean ganjang comes in two everyday types: 진간장 (jin-ganjang), an all-purpose dark soy sauce used for most everyday cooking, and 조선간장 (guk-ganjang), a lighter, saltier soup soy sauce used mainly in clear soups. As a beginner, 진간장 is the one to grab.
Where to find it
Look for a bottle labeled 진간장 from a Korean brand like Sempio or Chung Jung One (청정원) — any Korean grocery store or the international aisle of a larger supermarket will have it. In a pinch, regular soy sauce (Japanese or Chinese) is a genuinely close substitute — it's slightly different in sweetness, but it does the same core job.
Storage
Keeps in the pantry at room temperature, out of direct light. It doesn't really spoil — an unopened bottle keeps for years, and an opened one stays good for many months to a year at full quality.
된장 (Doenjang / Fermented Soybean Paste)
Deep, funky, and savory — Korea's answer to miso, but earthier and less sweet. It's the backbone of dishes like doenjang-jjigae (된장찌개).
Where to find it
Look for a tub labeled 된장 — Sempio, Chung Jung One, and Haechandle (해찬들) are all widely available Korean brands. If you genuinely can't find it, a light-colored (white or yellow) Japanese miso is the closest common stand-in, though it's milder and sweeter than the real thing.
Storage
Keeps in the refrigerator once opened, and lasts a long time there — many months at good quality, since it's already a fermented, salt-preserved product.
고추장 (Gochujang / Korean Chili Paste)
Spicy, a little sweet, and thick — a sticky, savory chili paste that shows up in everything from bibimbap to stews like budae-jjigae. Its job is almost always the same three things: heat, sweetness, and body.
Where to find it
Look for a red plastic tub labeled 고추장 — CJ Haechandle, Sempio, and Chung Jung One are the common brands you'll see. No Korean grocery store nearby yet? Our budae-jjigae recipe has a real substitute you can make from pantry staples in the meantime.
Storage
Keeps in the refrigerator once opened, and lasts for months there without losing quality.
Already stocked one of these and want to know what to cook with it first? Ask in the comments — we're always looking for the next recipe to add.