What Is Gochujang and Why Are UK Restaurants Adding It to Everything

Gochujang has gone from a Korean pantry staple to a sauce UK chefs reach for daily. Here is what it is, why it sells, and how to put it to work on your menu. 

Walk into a UK kitchen in 2026, and there is a good chance a tub of gochujang sits within arm’s reach of the pass. The thick red Korean paste has spread far past Korean restaurants. It now turns up in burgers, wings, mayo, pasta, and roast veg. The reason is simple: it adds heat, depth, and a savoury-sweet kick in one scoop, and diners keep asking for it. 

This guide explains what gochujang actually is, why it has caught on across UK menus, and how to use and buy it for a busy kitchen. 

What is gochujang?

Gochujang is a fermented Korean chilli paste. It is made from red chilli powder (gochugaru), glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt, then left to age. That ageing is what sets it apart from a plain chilli sauce. The ferment builds a deep, savoury umami base under the heat. 

The taste hits several notes at once: spicy, but also sweet, salty, and rich. It is thick and sticky, closer to tomato paste than to a pourable sauce, so it clings to food and dissolves slowly into stews and marinades. Heat levels vary by brand, and most tubs carry a spice rating, which matters when you are cooking for a mixed crowd. 

Why UK restaurants are adding it to everything

Three things explain the surge, and all of them point to keeping it in stock. 

The K-food wave keeps growing

Korean food has moved from niche to mainstream in the UK, carried by Korean pop culture, social media, and a wave of new Korean restaurants. Diners who discovered Korean fried chicken or bibimbap now look for gochujang by name, and chefs across other cuisines have noticed. For a fuller picture of the Korean range worth stocking, see the guide to Korean ingredients UK restaurants should be stocking in 2026. 

It does several jobs in one jar

Gochujang seasons, adds heat, builds colour, and deepens savour all at once. That makes it efficient in a tight kitchen: one ingredient replaces several, cuts down on prep, and gives dishes a flavour that is hard to fake. It also keeps well, so a tub earns its shelf space. 

It travels across menus

This is the part chefs love. Gochujang is not stuck in Korean dishes. It works stirred into mayo for a burger sauce, whisked into butter for wings, folded through pasta, or brushed over roasted cauliflower. A single tub can lift a starter, a main, and a side, which is why it shows up far beyond Korean kitchens. 

How to use gochujang on your menu

Because it is concentrated, gochujang usually needs thinning or balancing. A spoon mixed with a little water, vinegar, sesame oil, or honey turns it into a glaze, dressing, or dip. Here are the uses that pull their weight in service: 

Marinades and glazes for chicken, pork belly, and bulgogi-style beef 

Sauces for bibimbap, Korean fried chicken, and tteokbokki rice cakes 

Stews and soups such as kimchi jjigae, where it dissolves into the broth 

Fusion hits like gochujang mayo, spiced butter for wings, or a kick stirred through noodles and pasta 

Dips and dressings thinned with vinegar, honey, or sesame oil 

Gochujang next to other chilli sauces

It helps to know where gochujang sits against the chilli sauces a UK kitchen already stocks: 

How much heat, and who is it for?

Gochujang is warming rather than fierce, and the ferment rounds off the edge, so it suits a broad range of diners. Heat does vary by brand, though, so taste before you commit a batch and adjust with honey or rice for milder palates. For dishes aimed at heat-seekers, you can lean on a hotter brand or add fresh chilli on top. 

How to buy gochujang for a UK kitchen

For foodservice, buy in catering sizes rather than small retail tubs. A larger tub cuts the cost per portion and means you are not topping up mid-week. It keeps well sealed and chilled after opening, so waste is low even if a dish is an occasional special. 

Stock at least one reliable gochujang as a core line, and consider a second hotter option if your menu leans spicy. You can compare brands and pack sizes on the JK Foods pastes range and the wider sauces category. The same Korean and fusion dishes that use gochujang often pair with the wholesale noodles range, so it is worth ordering together. 

Want to add gochujang to your kitchen at wholesale prices? Register as a trade buyer to see case pricing, or get in touch with JK Foods to find the right brand and size for your menu. 

Frequently asked questions

What does gochujang taste like?

Spicy, sweet, salty, and deeply savoury all at once. The fermentation gives it an umami richness you do not get from plain chilli sauce, and the texture is thick and sticky, more like a paste than a pourable sauce. 

Is gochujang very spicy?

It is warming rather than blistering, and the ferment softens the heat. That said, brands vary, so taste before scaling a recipe and balance with honey or rice if you are serving milder palates. 

What can I use gochujang for?

Marinades, glazes, stews, dips, and dressings, plus fusion uses like gochujang mayo, spiced butter for wings, and a kick stirred through pasta or noodles. Because it is concentrated, thin it with water, vinegar, sesame oil, or honey for most uses. 

Is gochujang gluten-free?

Not always. Traditional gochujang uses glutinous rice, which, despite the name, is gluten-free, but many commercial versions add wheat. Check the label and confirm before serving it to a diner with coeliac disease. 

How long does gochujang last once opened?

It keeps for a long time when sealed and refrigerated after opening, as the salt and fermentation slow spoilage. Keep it covered and chilled, and it will hold its taste through weeks of service. 

Gochujang earns its place because it does a lot from one tub: heat, depth, colour, and savour, across Korean dishes and far beyond. Stock a dependable brand by the case, learn to thin and balance it, and you have a sauce that lifts everything from wings to roast veg, which is exactly why UK kitchens keep reaching for it.