Creamy Korean Ssamjang (쌈장) Pasta Recipe - EricTriesIt (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between ssamjang and gochujang? ›

Ssamjang is basically gochujang and doenjang combined, with some sesame, garlic and other wonderful ingredients that make it have this almost peanut butter-like texture. You may have seen ssamjang in lettuce wraps (Ssambap) at some Korean BBQ.

Whether you smear it on meat, use it as a dip for your favorite veggies, or wrap it up with rice in steamed cabbage leaves (no, I won't stop talking about this), you'll discover that ssamjang is so versatile it just might become your new favorite condiment.

As with the soybean paste that it's made from, it's perfect for soups and stews, and a great condiment to many Korean meals. Spread ssämjang on meat or fish before putting it under the grill, or add it to stir fry for extra depth of flavor. You can even dip dumplings into it.

If you don't want to make your ssamjang sweet, you can skip sugar, honey, or syrup or use less of it. You can also buy premade ssamjang in Korean grocery stores, but I guarantee this will be fresher and more delicious. It's best just after you make it, but you can store it in the fridge about 10 days, if you need to.

Ssam means "wrapped" and jang means "paste" or "thick sauce". Together as ssamjang they mean "wrapping sauce".

The recipe, like any good food, varies from house to house and is a specialty condiment used in a lot of meals, or even by itself.

Pan-fried chicken, grilled skirt steak, roast squash—these are all dishes that would benefit from being served alongside a bowl of ssamjang. Beyond the world of condiments, ssamjang could also be used to marinate meat.

Gochujang sauce is most often used in Korean recipes, but its sweet, spicy umami flavor is so delicious that you'll want to drizzle it over everything! As far as flavor goes, there's nothing like gochujang sauce.

Red leaf lettuce is probably the most common in modern ssam but other lettuces, steamed or parboiled cabbage, and kaenip (also known as perilla) leaves are also are popular.

Can I replace gochujang with ssamjang? ›

Those similarities make ssamjang our favourite substitute for gochujang. It has the fermented soybeans, spice and umami hit. If it contains sugar, that's great - you could optionally add a dash of sugar or maple syrup if it doesn't.

Add more vegetables to reduce the excessive salt. Add half glass of water in curry. Add raw onions. Cut them into two pieces and mix it well for around 15 minutes and then remove it.

Gochujang is probably one of the most famous Korean condiments. This fermented red pepper paste is used in an array of dishes and adds colour and a huge flavour kick! It's made from fine Korean chilli powder, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans and salt.

Ssamjang is an essential component of Korean barbecue. It's a simple, no-cook, stir-together dipping sauce that combines the savory funk of doenjang (fermented Korean soybean paste) with the sweet heat of gochujang.

Put cooking oil, green onion, and red pepper powder in a pot and stir-fry over low heat. If it smells like green onion, add soy sauce and stir-fry over low heat. Add water and ramen powder and boil. When the water boils, add ramen and ssamjang and boil.

The most authentic gochujang replacement combines miso paste and sriracha with a little pinch of sugar. If you try to just swap in another Asian sauce like sriracha or sambal oelek as a 1:1 gochujang substitute, your dish will be spicier and more acidic than intended. Hot sauces contain vinegar, and gochujang does not.

If you have a tub of ssamjang, it's great as a bibimbap sauce as well. The salty, spicy, and slightly sweet and umami packed gochujang doesn't really need much of anything else for bibimbap. I simply use some water to thin it out for easy mixing and add a little bit of sugar and sesame oil. That's it!

Gochujang traditionally also gets its gentle sweetness from its fermentation process, which takes place over several years (all good things to those who wait and all that). That process sees the starches in the rice convert to sugars, resulting in all kinds of boom-boom-pow-knock-your-socks-off addictive awesomeness.