Korean Ssamjang
The dark, punchy paste that goes inside lettuce wraps — a quick stir of doenjang (fermented soybean paste) and gochujang with sesame oil, garlic, and a little honey, thick enough to smear and complex enough to make grilled meat unnecessary.
Ingredients
For 4 servings · tick what is ready
Use the scaled ingredient list. Steps and temperatures stay unchanged; use a larger pan or dish if needed. Seasonings to taste stay to taste.
How to make it
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir vigorously until the doenjang and gochujang are fully blended and no streaks remain. The sesame oil should be absorbed rather than pooling on top. The spring onion and sesame seeds should be evenly distributed. Taste and adjust: add more gochujang for heat, more honey for sweetness, more sesame oil for richness. Unlike cooked condiments, ssamjang is built entirely through balance — there is no heat to hide mistakes.
Cover the bowl and rest for at least 10 minutes at room temperature before serving — this allows the raw garlic to mellow slightly and the sesame oil to integrate fully. Ssamjang improves markedly over a few hours in the fridge as the flavors meld. Store refrigerated in an airtight jar for up to 2 weeks. Serve as a dipping paste for ssam (lettuce wraps), alongside bulgogi, crudités, or with plain steamed rice.
About this recipe
By ForkRecipe Kitchen · Source: ForkRecipe / FoodML and contributors. Recipe content available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Serving count is an estimate; check quantities in the source recipe.