Meet The World's Most Popular Korean Herbs And Spices

Chefs know that spices and herbs for cooking will add flavor to the food, so the dish is more interesting. Herbs are usually plants, while spices come from buds, fruits, roots, stems, seeds, or bark of a variety of plants and trees. 

Globally, there are several common spices. These include allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, curry powder, ginger, nutmeg, turmeric, and so much more. But what about Korean cooking?

Herbs and spices in Korean cuisine

Korean foods are known for their spicy nature. In "han shik" or Korean cuisine, food selections may vary across different regions, and there are various ingredients that are staple features of many recipes. There are more, and these include Korean garlic or manul, hot pepper flakes or gochugaru, and fish sauce or aekjeot, among many others. 

1. Ganjang

This is Korean soy sauce known for its salty and sweet taste. It has often been used to season various dishes like bibimbap and fried tofu, as well as seafood and vegetables.  

2. Doenjang

Meanwhile, this is fermented soybean paste from soybean and brine. There are varieties of Doenjang that are byproducts of soup soy sauce production. Many Korean kitchen experts utilize this as a relish as well. 

3. Chamkireum

This Korean ingredient is toasted sesame oil, and the Chamkireum is characterized by its dark red-brown color with its nutty flavor. It is important to use Chamkireum sparingly as it can be overpowering to the taste. It is just drizzled over salads, soups, side dishes, desserts, and so much more.

4. Ssamjang

If you are going to explore Korean cooking, it is crucial to be able to find out which are which. Ssamjang is a savory sauce that is a blend of soybean paste, garlic, chili paste, sesame oil, and onion often served with Korean-style barbecue in leafy greens known as ssam. This has been part of Korean cooking since the Three Kingdoms era in its history.