Ingredient substitutes
Gochujang substitute guide
Gochujang gives a sauce body as well as heat. A thin hot sauce cannot replace all of its jobs.
How to use this guide →WHATTOCOOK · KITCHEN NOTES
Korean cooking, within reach
Ingredient swaps, dishes without chili and your first grocery basket. Choose a guide for the meal you want to cook.
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Ingredient substitutes
Gochugaru substitute guide
Gochugaru is a dry chili ingredient; gochujang is a paste. They are not interchangeable forms of the same seasoning.
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Ingredient substitutes
Doenjang substitute guide
Doenjang seasons a stew with a fermented bean flavor.
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Ingredient substitutes
Korean soup soy sauce substitute guide
Soup soy sauce is used to season clear broths and vegetable sides.
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Ingredient substitutes
Toasted sesame oil substitute guide
Toasted sesame oil is often a finishing aroma, not just a cooking fat.
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Ingredient substitutes
Anchovy fish sauce substitute guide
Fish sauce adds salt and a fermented fish character.
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Ingredient substitutes
Mirim cooking wine substitute guide
Mirim is a sweet cooking wine that also supplies liquid.
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Rice syrup substitute guide
Rice syrup affects a glaze as well as sweetness.
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Ingredient substitutes
Unseasoned rice vinegar substitute guide
Rice vinegar supplies acidity; unseasoned vinegar differs from sweetened sushi seasoning.
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Ingredient substitutes
Korean pear substitute guide
Pear can add fruit sweetness and moisture to a meat marinade.
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Ingredient substitutes
Korean radish substitute guide
Korean radish behaves differently in a raw salad and a simmered broth.
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Ingredient substitutes
Large green onion substitute guide
The white and green parts of a large green onion cook differently.
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Ingredient substitutes
Sweet potato glass noodles substitute guide
Dangmyeon gives japchae its springy noodle texture.
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Ingredient substitutes
Potato starch substitute guide
Potato starch can thicken sauces or coat fried food; it is not potato flour.
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Ingredient substitutes
Anchovy and kelp stock substitute guide
Anchovy and kelp stock provides a base for noodles and stews.
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Non-spicy Korean food
3 non-spicy Korean dishes for beginners
Start with bulgogi, japchae and soy-sauce rice cakes. Gungjung tteokbokki uses a different sauce from red gochujang tteokbokki.
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Non-spicy Korean food
3 Korean soups without chili
Explore beef seaweed soup, rice cake soup and chicken soup as an introduction to Korean broths.
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Non-spicy Korean food
3 non-spicy banchan for a rice meal
Pair rice with rolled omelet, spinach namul and braised potatoes, using three different ingredient groups.
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Non-spicy Korean noodles and gimbap
Japchae, banquet noodles and gimbap offer different noodle and rice preparations.
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Non-spicy Korean dishes for sharing
Braised beef ribs, japchae and royal rice cakes form a soy-sauce-led sharing menu.
How to use this guide →Beginner grocery guides
Korean pantry starter: your first 5 ingredients
Begin with rice, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, garlic and eggs, checking what you already own. Salt and neutral cooking oil are additional basics.
How to use this guide →Beginner grocery guides
Korean grocery starter guide for the United States
Start with fresh food at your usual supermarket, then look for Korean specialty items in Asian groceries or online.
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Korean grocery starter guide for Mexico
Build a basket for soy-sauce dishes first, distinguishing seasoned chili blends from Korean chili flakes.
How to use this guide →Korean cooking answers
Fix common cooking problems, use your Korean seasonings and plan what to serve alongside your favorite dishes.
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