🌐 English

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.

Korean pantry starter: your first 5 ingredients β€” Reference photo of a linked dish, not the result of the substitution.
Reference photo of a linked dish, not the result of the substitution. Β· Hyeon-Jeong Suk Β· CC BY 2.0

How to use this guide

The five staples are not a complete recipe basket. Add carrot, green onion and milk for the omelet, spinach for namul, and potato and onion for the braise. Small packs can reduce your first shopping commitment.

What changes and what to check

Choose regular soy sauce rather than a sweet glaze. This list is not a fixed-price quote; follow each package for storage.

Related recipes

20 min Β· 2

Rolled omelette β†’

eggs roll β€” Keep the heat low so the inside cooks before the outside burns.

15 min Β· 2

Seasoned spinach β†’

spinach greens β€” Add thick stems near roots first to adjust the cooking time.

30 min Β· 2

Braised potatoes β†’

potatoesbraised dish β€” Avoid stirring too often before potatoes is cooked.

Your starting shopping checklist

These are the guide’s starting items. Check each recipe for its full ingredients and servings. You need not buy both an original ingredient and its substitute. Ticks are saved only in this browser.

0 / 5

Shop ingredients for this guide

Korea uses Coupang products; purchases through affiliate links may earn a commission. US and Mexico use Amazon searches. Check price, availability and shipping with the seller.

Sources and editorial scope

References identify ingredients and general cooking uses. Local swaps and menu plans are WhatToCook editorial suggestions, not tests or endorsements by those sources.

Maangchi Β· Explore the ingredient β†—

Read next