Reference guides
Pantry and kitchen reference
Plain-language guides to Korean pantry staples, notes on where Australian cooks can find them, and kitchen tools worth considering. Each guide sits alongside the recipes it supports.
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Pantry guides
Ferments, dried goods and pastes
Ferment
Gochujang and doenjang
Gochujang is a thick, sweet-hot chilli paste; doenjang is a salty fermented soybean paste. Start with one jar of each and learn how they change a stew before adding more.
Dried goods
Gochugaru and toasted sesame oil
Gochugaru is coarse Korean chilli flake with a fruity heat that suits kimchi and marinades. Toasted sesame oil is strong, so add it at the end of cooking, a few drops at a time.
Kitchen tools
Pots, slicers and presses
Practical tools for Korean cooking at home. Recommendations are contextual, and each one is listed only where it helps with a specific recipe step.
Earthenware ddukbaegi
A heavy clay pot holds heat for stews and soft tofu dishes. It can go from stovetop to table, which suits a weeknight jjigae.
Mandoline slicer
A mandoline gives even radish and cucumber strips for banchan. Use the guard, and slice thin enough that the strips stay crisp.
Kimchi press
A weighted press keeps vegetables under brine during fermenting. It helps prevent bruising and keeps the surface of the kimchi covered.