Condiment
Ssamjang
쌈장
Also called Korean wrap sauce
A thick Korean wrap paste: usually doenjang plus gochujang, sesame, garlic, spring onion and a little sweetener. It is meant to be smeared, not diluted into a soup.
Origin
Korea, as a table sauce for ssam — lettuce or perilla wrapped around grilled pork, beef or bossam. The supermarket tub is a baseline; home mixes vary.
Flavour
Salty and chilli-sweet, with sesame oil and raw garlic heat. It should taste more of fermented bean than of sugar.
How it is made
Doenjang and gochujang are stirred with toasted sesame oil, minced garlic, sesame seeds and sugar or rice syrup. There is no long extra fermentation once mixed.
How to use it
A small smear on a leaf, then rice, meat, and maybe a slice of raw garlic or grilled chilli. If the bought paste tastes dull, wake it with extra garlic, sesame oil and a pinch of sugar. Thin it only if you want a vegetable dip. It also works as a marinade base for pork belly with a little rice wine.
Storage
Fridge after opening. The garlic smell fades after a couple of weeks; refresh with new garlic if the tub is large.
Recipes using it
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