Korean Job Discussion Forums

lexicon · Joined: 27 Oct 2009 Location: UK

I'm moving to Korea in a couple of weeks - can anyone recommend any good hot sauces/spices/particular chillis/dishes to look out for?
Curious about ones you wouldn't usually come across in the UK/US, but would also be interested to know if well-known western brands such as Tabasco etc. are available or popular. As much as I'm a fan of trial and error with all-things-spice, it's always nice to get a heads up! Thanks Very Happy

egrog1717 · Joined: 12 Mar 2008

Korean food is all too spicy for Westerners... Better to just stay at home... Rolling Eyes

Dakgalbi (Chicken stirfry with veg) is damn good... Can get it in varying levels of spice depending on the resturant Very Happy

steveinincheon · Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Location: in The Shadows of Gyeyangsan

A lot of Korean food is moderately spicy, but there is actually a smaller range of hot sauces and spices available here than back in the US/UK. Many Korean dishes use red chili pepper paste in varying amounts, and dishes commonly contain either red or green chillies. This will seem hot at first if you don't eat a lot of spicy food at home, but if you eat a lot of Thai/Indian/Mexican food, Korean food will seem mild in comparison. You can buy red chili paste anywhere in Korea, but imported hot sauces like Tabasco or Sri Racha are less commonly used though still available in the bigger cities at least.

darkjedidave · Joined: 19 Aug 2009 Location: Shanghai/Seoul

I wasnt sure about Tobasco before I moved to Korea, so I brought 4 big bottles with me. However, it is fairly common (I see them at Costco, E-mart etc)

seoulsucker · Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:22 pm Post subject:

Never tried it until I came to Korea, but the "Pain Is Good" brand garlic habanero salsa is the greatest topping/dip in the world.

egrog1717 · Joined: 12 Mar 2008

Triban · Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Location: Suwon Station

I was extremely disappointed in the like of heat Korean foods have.

halfmanhalfbiscuit · Joined: 13 Oct 2007 Location: Seoul

seoulsucker · Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 10:51 pm Post subject:

On a scale of 1-10, 10 being a raw habanero, I'd put it at about a 6.5. If you eat it as a salsa the heat comes on a bit more, but as a topping (AWESOME on burgers and nachos) it seems to get dialed down a bit.

Hint: mix 1/2 "Pain is Good" Jamaican Pineapple salsa and 1/2 Garlic Habanero for a wicked sweet salsa with just enough kick.

Careful, though...it's addictive. I try to keep at least 3 jars of both varieties in my fridge.

halfmanhalfbiscuit · Joined: 13 Oct 2007 Location: Seoul

seoulsucker · Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:02 pm Post subject:

Jamaican Pineapple is very mild and sweet. Even milder than Pace.

Smoked Jalepeno is about on par with Pace, but much, much, much more flavorful.

Garlic Habanero is the winner out of the bunch. Strong flavor, but the heat isn't overpowering to the point of being painful.

Treat yourself to all three and try combining them to find a mix that suits you.

**** me, my mouth is watering right now.

lexicon · Joined: 27 Oct 2009 Location: UK

Thanks for the responses everyone.

kiknkorea · Joined: 16 May 2008

I'll pick up some of the Pain is Good at E-mart later. I've seen it, but didn't know if it was worth getting. Sounds silly, but I guess the label (the reacting faces) turned me off. Just seemed too gimmicky.

It's always what's inside that counts though, so I'll give it a try.