Creamy Korean Ssamjang (쌈장) Pasta Recipe - EricTriesIt (2024)

FAQs

What do you do with Korean ssamjang? ›

Whether you smear it on meat, use it as a dip for your favorite veggies, or wrap it up with rice in steamed cabbage leaves (no, I won't stop talking about this), you'll discover that ssamjang is so versatile it just might become your new favorite condiment.

The recipe, like any good food, varies from house to house and is a specialty condiment used in a lot of meals, or even by itself.

Ssamjang is basically gochujang and doenjang combined, with some sesame, garlic and other wonderful ingredients that make it have this almost peanut butter-like texture. You may have seen ssamjang in lettuce wraps (Ssambap) at some Korean BBQ.

Ssamjang is more of a bean basted slightly spicy salty nutty sauce used when you are eating meat. Gochujang is a pepper based sauce that is more spicy and less salty and nutty. Gochujang is used in stews or eaten with green peppers( you dip the pepper in gochjang) or used as a sauce base.

Ssam means "wrapped" and jang means "paste" or "thick sauce". Together as ssamjang they mean "wrapping sauce".

Unopened, pre-made Ssamjang does not need to be refrigerated, but it should be kept in a cool place. Opened or self-made ssamjang will stay fresh in the refrigerator for months.

If you have a tub of ssamjang, it's great as a bibimbap sauce as well. The salty, spicy, and slightly sweet and umami packed gochujang doesn't really need much of anything else for bibimbap. I simply use some water to thin it out for easy mixing and add a little bit of sugar and sesame oil.

Several types of wild greens, known collectively as chwinamul (such as Aster scaber), are a popular dish, and other wild vegetables such as bracken fern shoots (gosari) or Korean bellflower root (doraji) are also harvested and eaten in season.

Doenjang vs Ssamjang: Origins

It's made by fermenting soybeans with salt and other ingredients, resulting in a rich and savory flavor that adds depth to various dishes. On the other hand, ssamjang is a spicy dipping sauce commonly used in Korean barbecue.

How do you make ssamjang less salty? ›

Add more vegetables to reduce the excessive salt. Add half glass of water in curry. Add raw onions. Cut them into two pieces and mix it well for around 15 minutes and then remove it.

The shelf life is one month but can be prolonged if you keep refrigerated and use a clean spoon when needed. As it is made with fermented pastes, it doesn't really go off.

The other thing to look for is a recognizable expiration date, so you know just how long your ssämjang will keep for—it should keep for a year from the date of production.

Store in a dry, cool place. Shelf life may last up to 1 year if stored in a favorable area or refrigerated and unopened. Store inside a tightly sealed container.

You can also buy premade ssamjang in Korean grocery stores, but I guarantee this will be fresher and more delicious. It's best just after you make it, but you can store it in the fridge about 10 days, if you need to.

Unopened, pre-made Ssamjang does not need to be refrigerated, but it should be kept in a cool place. Opened or self-made ssamjang will stay fresh in the refrigerator for months.

Put cooking oil, green onion, and red pepper powder in a pot and stir-fry over low heat. If it smells like green onion, add soy sauce and stir-fry over low heat. Add water and ramen powder and boil. When the water boils, add ramen and ssamjang and boil.

Try it as a baste on chicken wings or pork ribs, or added to soup broths like in my Spicy Pork Miso Noodle Soup. Gochujang can also be used in marinades for meat dishes like Korean bulgogi, stirred into dipping sauces, or used to punch up stews.