Gochugaru
Korean red pepper flakes, sun-dried and slightly sweet, the heart of kimchi and gochujang.
Also: Korean chilli flakes, gochu garu, Korean red pepper powder
Gochugaru is the Korean chilli powder or flake, made from sun-dried red peppers that are seeded and coarsely or finely ground. The taste is fruity, a little smoky and sweet, with a heat that builds gently. It colours and flavours kimchi, spicy stews, tteokbokki and dipping sauces, and is the base of gochujang, a fermented paste with soybean and rice. The coarse grade is for kimchi, and the fine grade for pastes and soups. Chillies reached Korea in the sixteenth century, likely through Japan or China, and transformed the national cuisine. Good gochugaru is bright red, not brown.