How a Gochujang Master Perfected a 100-Year-Old Recipe - The Experts

In Andong, South Korea, fourth-generation gochujang master Choi, Myung Hee works on a 100-year-old recipe for the fermented red chile paste. Due to the difficult nature of making gochujang, she has also created an award-winning method for others to make it at home.
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Credits:
Producer: Carla Francescutti
Field Producer/Director: Nadia Cho
Camera: Gerald Lee, Tim Han
Editor: Charlotte Carpenter
Executive Producer: Stephen Pelletteri
Development Producer: Ian Stroud
Supervising Producer: Stefania Orrù
Associate Producer: Julia Hess
Audience Development: Terri Ciccone, Frances Dumlao, Avery Dalal
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[@eater]

Thank you for watching! Check out their website here: andongjebiwon.co.kr/eng/

[@TyinAlaska]

I'm finding it difficult to navigate the website. I would like to purchase that kit which she speaks about at the end of the video. Could anyone help?

[@mattwarner2508]

@@TyinAlaska did you figure it out?

[@chunshine]

​@@TyinAlaskaI think that the website is only selling it in Korea, but I could be wrong. I changed the language to Korean, and only then was I able to see the prices and add to cart.

[@MaZEEZaM]

@@chunshine were you able to find anywhere that sells it online internationally? I'm from Australia.

[@LojikSupreme]

Thanks for sharing!

[@battleempoleon3714]

It’s so refreshing seeing traditionalists go out of their way to research and develop their recipes to be easier or more convenient, yet retain the same tastes and textures and subtleties!

[@woIf]

Little bit of funding for these cultural resources goes a long way. She was being incentivized to do this in ways our government simply would not do for people. Here in the USA, we are too busy letting lobbyists force our government into subsidizing industries like dairy, with taxpayer money providing nearly 50% of their yearly profit. (Of course, small family farms don’t have lobbyists so they aren’t the ones receiving billions yearly... Where I grew up, all the "dairy wives" had to get town jobs or their kids would be hungry with no healthcare.)

[@leezalee7378]

I love how she says her mother in law was a good person and that she taught her how to make this. Something about that kind of love and respect and acknowledgement of her elders, her mother in law none the less (we all know the jokes), was really heartwarming.

[@Ari_C]

I think those negative in-laws sentiments/jokes are more of a Western thing though I could be wrong

[@leezalee7378]

Maybe! @@Ari_C

[@FootballEditz12163]

nah bro its not only a western thing...@@Ari_C

[@Ari_C]

@@FootballEditz12163 idk why you're being all passive aggressive about it, but alright. I already acknowledged I could be wrong. many cultures are way more extended family oriented than the US(the US is more focused on "the nuclear family") so it's imo pretty reasonable to have assumed that could carry over to family by marriage.

[@davidmancic9080]

that was really nice and special

[@paulachoi2375]

Aw man, I wish the translation was closer in accuracy for that last line: “Making Gochujang is my family’s farming. But I see that raising a family is a form of farming in itself” Love that!!

[@cookingdude1237]

Very cool

[@c.j.williams3948]

I love when chefs talk passionately about what they do it makes the experience of watching these stories that more exciting.

[@yowhatsup1006]

That "kit" is genius! Yes, you can buy this everywhere. But to be able to do it at home and actually learn how it's done keeps the tradition. Brilliant!

[@ellenantrobus7793]

@Master Yow do you know where these kits can be purchased ?

[@FreightmareFTW]

Repent and follow Jesus my friend! Repenting doesn't mean confessing your sins to others, but to stop doing them altogether. Belief in Messiah alone is not enough to get you into heaven - Matthew 7:21-23, John 3:3, John 3:36 (ESV is the best translation for John 3:36). Contemplate how the Roman empire fulfilled the role of the beast from the sea in Revelation 13. Revelation 17 confirms that it is in fact Rome. From this we can conclude that A) Jesus is the Son of God and can predict the future or make it happen, B) The world leaders/nations/governments etc have been conspiring together for the last 3000+ years to accomplish the religion of the Israelites C) History as we know it is fake. You don't really need to speculate though because you can start a relationship with God and have proof. Call on the name of Jesus and pray for Him to intervene in your life. - Revelation 3:20 Revelation 6 1st Seal: White horse = Roman Empire conquering nations under Trajan 98-117 AD & Gospel spreading rapidly. 2nd Seal: Red horse, bloody civil wars with 32 different Emperors, most killed by the sword. 185-284 AD 3rd Seal: Black horse, economic despair from high taxes to pay for wars, farmers stopped growing. 200-250 AD 4th Seal: Pale horse, 1/4th of Romans died from famine, pestilence; at one point 5,000 dying per day. 250-300 AD 5th Seal: Diocletian persecuted Smyrna church era saints for ten years, blood crying out for vengeance. 303-312 AD 6th Seal: Political upheaval in the declining Roman Empire while the leaders battled each other. 313-395 AD Revelation 7 Sealing of 144,000, the saints, before trumpet war judgments, which led to the fall of the Roman Empire. Revelation 8 1st Trumpet: Alaric and the Goths attacked from the north, the path of hail, and set it on fire. 400-410 AD 2nd Trumpet: Genseric and the Vandals attacked the seas and coastlands, the blood of sailors in water. 425-470 AD 3rd Trumpet: Attila and the Huns scourged the Danube, Rhine & Po rivers area, dead bodies made water bitter. 451 AD 4th Trumpet: Odoacer and the Heruli caused the last Western Emperor (sun), Senate (moon) to lose power. 476 AD With the Western Roman Emperor (restrainer of 2 Thes. 2) removed; the son of perdition Popes took power. Revelation 9 Two woe judgments against the central 1/3rd and eastern 1/3rd of the Roman Empire. 612-1453 AD 5th Trumpet: Locust & scorpions point to Arabia, the rise of the Muslim army. Islam hides Gospel from Arabs. 612-762 AD 6th Trumpet: Turks released to attack Constantinople with large cannons (fire, smoke, brimstone). 1062-1453 AD Revelation 10 The little book is the printed Bible, which was needed after the Dark Ages when Scriptures were banned by Popes. Revelation 11 7th Trumpet: Martin Luther measured Roman Church; found that it’s an apostate church, not part of true temple. The two witnesses are the Scriptures and saints who proclaim the pure Gospel and testify against the antichrist Popes. Papal Church pronounced Christendom dead in 1514 AD. Silence for 3.5 years. Then Luther posted his 95 Thesis, which sparked the Protestant Reformation and brought the witnesses back to life. Millions of Catholics were saved. Revelation 12 Satan used the Roman Empire to try to wipe out the early Church, Satan was cast down as the Empire collapsed. Revelation 13 The antichrist beast Popes reigned in power 1,260 years, 538-1798, is the little horn of Daniel 7, son of perdition. The false prophet Jesuit Superior General rose to power from land (earth) of Vatican and has created many deceptions. Revelation 14 Points to great harvest during the Protestant Reformation & wrath on Catholic countries who obey antichrist Pope. Revelation 15 Overcoming saints victorious over the beast. Prelude to 7 vials and judgment on those who support Papal Rome. Revelation 16 1st Vial: The foul sore of atheism was poured out on Catholic France, leaving them with no hope, led to revolution. 2nd Vial: The French Revolution started in 1793, killed 250,000, as France had obeyed the Pope and killed saints. 3rd Vial: The French Revolution spread to rural areas of France, where Protestants had been killed in river areas. 4th Vial: The bloody Napoleonic wars shed the blood of countries who had revered and obeyed the antichrist Pope. 5th Vial: Judgment on the seat of the beast. Papal States invaded in 1798, Pope imprisoned, removed from power. 6th Vial: The Turks vast domain dried up, they were only left with Turkey. They lost control of Palestine in 1917 AD, Israel became a nation again in 1948

[@littlsuprstr]

Gochujang is like a cheat code for making delicious food. Everyone ought to try it in their cooking.

[@awesomesauceusername]

Its also easy to store with its long shelf life. A must in every pantry

[@kalui96]

@@awesomesauceusername Survivalists ought to consider keeping some aside. Lucky we know the truth

[@DEVILDOG3334]

Mam I got real ops out here I can't fam

[@woosangkang2452]

that is true lol

[@fieonshakespearenut]

That's why Bobby Flay uses it to win his cooking competitions. (I'm always complaining to my husband that he cheats by using short cuts. My husband says, "No, he just knows what tastes good.")

[@jeffreyaguilar3271]

I love that she took extra steps to allow the younger generation to learn the heritage.

[@la1163]

I also had a wonderful, beautiful mother in law. I'm hispanic and I married a Chinese man and the only barrier we had in the beginning was language. But we learned to communicate. She taught me how to make lots of wonderful dishes, growing unique vegetables and beautiful traditions. I miss her and hope I make her proud.

[@diamcole]

You absolutely do!

[@la1163]

@@diamcole Thank you

[@livingfinance]

I love cultures who are able to straddle the lines between keeping tradition and modernity. It’s amazing!

[@crystal8277]

I’m not Korean but I use this sauce and make Korean food. It’s a fact that this sauce is as important as kimchi. I thought this was a factory-made sauce but I’m just amazed at what this lady doing here. I was always wondering how they make this sauce. It just blew my mind. The history, passion, hard work, and dedication behind this sauce just wow. 👏

[@brakefree6434]

knowing how they made such a distinct sauce was a treat to watch. from the ingredients down to the very product made. it's lovely.

[@Zipfei_Kloatscher]

After watching this I just had a small spoon of Gochujang and I enjoyed it even more. Wonderful stuff, thanks Eater!... 🙂👍🏻

[@li-ion6228]

it's great that she's open minded when it comes to the tradition of making gochujang. by innovating better methods to households, their traditional staple sauce is kept in the hearts of many across the country. great and strong women made this, and will continue to do so-you gotta love their passion for their craft.

[@afdhalsoft]

Feels like watching Harry Potter Potions class scene! So much passion and dedication given to produce one of the key ingredients in Korean cuisine

[@Gggobin]

Hello! I am your Korean subscriber. First of all, thank you so much for covering Korean traditional gochujang. I study English and food while watching the video, and I am just glad that my home country's food comes out. Many of them are gone now, but in the past, they made their own intestines and ate them, so they influenced the taste of the food in the house. It is as important and essential as salt and sugar in Korea!

[@dkdlrhdi]

*for some puzzled people: he/she probably means 장(jang, as in deonjang, gochujang) not 'intestines'

[@jsisaacs1]

Her enthusiasm is infectious!

[@SJ-pl7rk]

Gochujang looks so spicy becasue of its color, but actually it is not as much as spicy we imagine(as I think). That sauce is widely used in almost Korean food which have a red color. It helps to have much rich flavor only with this. Please do try this one once!

[@carlbrittain1993]

I love using gochujang in my cooking. It adds excellent depth of flavor and is easy to work with. Plus it's tasty on its own.

[@koolqeee]

I feel so inspired when I see people put so much love and passion into the work that they do. Gochujang is such a versatile, delicious and unique ingredient. I love to use it as a dip for my cucumbers when I snack. Highly recommend everyone to give it a go (but it can be quite spicy!)

[@user-mf8yb5ih8c]

고추장 명인분이 Eater에 나오다니...감동이네요 한식이 새삼 사랑받는 것이 느껴집니다

[@magroves]

I am 41 from Jacksonville, Florida. When i was a kid there were only Chinese and Japanese restaurants from Asian cuisine here. Now there are so many Korean restaurants and also Thai, Vietnamese and more. And they are all so delicious. I feel very blessed that people use their food as a universal language to share with people. My mom's grandparents came from Greece and my Great-Grandfather opened a restaurant so I also love restaurant owners, my YiaYia (grandmother) always talked about growing up in the restaurant

[@user-mf8yb5ih8c]

@@magroves ah that is a lovely story. Yeah food is definitely tying people up in this world! Thanks for the love

[@maddiredfern]

She looks absolutely amazing while doing all this work. What a Queen!

[@dwellinn]

So refreshing to watch this amazing person sharing her precious 100yo recipe to the world even going as far as making small kits for others to try and make gochujang themselves.

[@davidskirk7355]

It really is something special to see someone carrying on a tradition that has spanned hundreds of years while still retaining the passion and carefulness that gave it life in the first place.

[@priss4]

I loved her passion and joy for the work she does!! And as always passing it on to the younger generation willing to learn.... This video made me hungry I want a dish with some Gochujang in it.

[@Romafood]

100 years old.... fantastic video, great recipe, i love old traditions

[@saturnianali8r]

Since I had to look it up- She mentions jocheong which is the rice and malt barley syrup. It is a traditional sweetener in Korea (long before sugar was introduced).

[@normawingo5116]

What a wonderful food to have the knowledge of. Absolutely beautiful. I’m sure it tastes delicious. Wonderful opportunity to hear a master. Thank you.

[@AndrewHadi07]

Such hardwork !

[@mads855]

Loved this video so much!

[@NoDoSwLa]

I really appreciate these kind of videos. Thank you for the insight. In a world were everything seems to have to be faster/quicker/newer, real craftsmanships falls short. But I see and hear that it somehow comes back. Thankfully

[@drewsarmiento]

This legit got me hungry. So much respect for this woman and her passion.

[@shea5542]

I really enjoyed watching this.

[@BigDH28]

This is incredible! I wish I could try this! 😋👍

[@yangz56]

Beautiful

[@joeyhighsman6013]

Awesome video! I love gochujang so this was interesting watch

[@paulaliberty2082]

Love this!!

[@normawingo5116]

Best flavor in the world, I absolutely understand why you love what you do!

[@Halcyon-kw8nj]

I love her passion to keep the tradition and culture alive.

[@BladeReader]

Merci , quel travail !

[@laurapasaribu]

Awsome!!!! 와~! 이거 정말 맛있어보인다!!!

[@kimji0327]

the way she talks is sooo adorable love it

[@naina1809]

WOW ! she's so awesome

[@Cr125stin]

What an awesome woman! I want to buy the kit she showed at the end!

[@EliasH-video]

This is the best video Eater has put out in a while. She’s a great host

[@marshaissha96]

My fav sauce base. So delicious

[@BigboiiTone]

Glad there are subtitles for most of the video as the captions are coming up in korean

[@dhaygdhig]

I hope we could have this kind of masters preserving our sauces/recipes in our country

[@antoniomromo]

Oh I'm going to try and find one of those kits.

[@Beegeezy144]

I love her voice. Clear, strong intonation, birth comforting and commanding at once.

[@nulnoh219]

I gotta get my hands on one of those kits she's making.

[@jennydelgado8517]

I’d love to learn to make this I love Korean food 😍

[@Ninjamovesbeh]

I was literally thinking about how it was made yesterday then you came out with the video today….miracles do happen lol

[@oneshotme]

Enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up

[@Unlucky13ification]

I just cooked some beans with gochujang today and i wondered what this stuff is. I like thst they used fermented ingredients because that kight be healthier for my gut bacteria. Also, I love the passion this woman has for gochujang! People like her are probably the reason I'm able buy it at the supermarket here in America.

[@williamstrachan7714]

I don't know much about Korean food but you can tell she puts a lot of love into it to keep the traditional ways alive!

[@sulis7997]

Wow.. Really would like to taste how good is homemade gochujang from the master itself.. Hopefully can visit Korea and Andong as well to meet her personally

[@Hanmoon850]

woaw... very nice

[@brakefree6434]

she really deserved the daesang she received for keeping this tradition alive. i hope you live a good life.

[@heidibear44]

Amazing lady!

[@FinalElysion]

Her passion and pride in her work is really uplifting!

[@AzaleaChan13]

I could practically smell it. Mmm, delicious

[@Fellowtellurian]

This woman is a vibe for sure.

[@mikeyd946]

Wow a year! I love my gochujang!

[@rail5496]

Thank you Korea for bringing gochujang to this world. I can't live without having it in my dining table.

[@SauceyFredo]

I know it’s hard work, but this looks so therapeutic and calming

[@bizjak3246]

God bless this woman

[@sypialnia_studio]

Man, that gochujang looks delicious, i want to try it so bad right now ughhh

[@LaMaiStyle]

I love this. So delicious‼️ 나는 이것을 좋아한다. 너무 맛있어요‼️

[@sinbadddx]

Need a good gochujang recipe learning how to make some for my meals!

[@brianburkart]

I would pay to go work for this lady.... I love her passion.

[@nadiaciocon3040]

I recommend everyone to try Korean meals with Gochujang ! It's sooooooooooo good!

[@Vmeen08]

My favorite to put on any food.. Especially Fried Chicken

[@FinancialShinanigan]

Torturous of Eater to release this an hour before lunchtime at work!

[@sowebapermites2006]

Wow l love to eat some Korean Halal food it's amazing and refreshing to watch this traditional recipe making of gochujang I'm assured that it's halal no pork ingredients love it more power to you ma'am and your family business 👍🥰

[@dailynnsp.o.v]

If your going through something right now I hope all gets better! Keep fighting and pushing through it you have more life to live and life isn’t a sprint it’s a marathon. You go this reach out to people you haven’t talked to in awhile try to make peace with others because life is to short to be negative. I wish all well peace and one love! ✌🏽🙏🏽

[@cookingdude1237]

cool video man

[@daves1412]

Wonderful. My favourite naughty food is Korean crisply fried chicken wings with gochuchang sauce made with garlic, ginger, vinegar, soy and some other bits and pieces.

[@ShanyShannon]

I just made some bulgogi beef steak with some potatoes last might. Very delicious. I didn't like the marinade that I bought. The store ran out of gochuchang. So I had to fix the taste. 😮‍💨

[@seomarie9348]

I can live without kimchi, but I can't live without gochujang. I really love gochujang.

[@seomarie9348]

I can't live without kimchi. 😂

[@notelijah8506]

loveeee her accent

[@jasonturner1045]

how cool.

[@nourake341]

Love Korean authentic food cute halmoni 🥰 kamsamida 🥰🇰🇷

[@SafariVeridian]

I love her

[@moniquewrites9046]

An actual definition of a nation’s “national treasure”

[@dragonsgorawr302]

As a young girl it is so cool to see that this job clearly has been perfected throughout time by women. There was not a single man in this film and it makes me happy knowing there are some traditions which men have humbly admitted “ our mothers are better at this.”

[@user-yf2tp3dy8e]

Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.

[@VeganDeconstructed]

Would have been interesting if the video addressed what they made pre-Columbus since red chilis aren't "traditional" in the sense they only arrived a few hundred years ago. There just have been something like a chili-free gojuchang...??

[@oregonpatriot1570]

I love trying to make things from scratch, and I'm not afraid of long wait periods (I recently made vanilla extract that took over a year). That being said? I think I'll continue BUYING my Gochujang. It's a little more than I want to try. _.....for now._

[@_judy._.k_]

Slay queen 💅👑

[@jordantaylor87]

This vid needs more views. People are sleeping on gochujang

[@gamerman7276]

Gochujang is so good I like it on cheddar cheese with green onion

[@B4godtherewaslight]

Fantastic taste and ingredient to use in cooking…or KFC (Korean Fried Chicken). Just delicious.

[@y-mefarm4249]

We need more masters of all the worlds old traditions to focus on teaching their craft to the younger generations. If we lose our history the future seems bleak.

[@hilee7390]

*FUN FACT))* The Gochujang was one of the most expensive sauces in the Joseon period, unlike today. Since the delivery of red pepper to the Korean Peninsula, the term of introducing it took a long time as Food Ingredient, and developed sauce in wealthy Scholar-official houses(士大夫家). Unlike this video scene, traditional Gochujang was only enjoyed by whose royalty or senior official servants and consisted of expensive spice(香辛料) inside the sauce. According to the Seungjeongwon daybook(承政院日記), King 'Yeongjo' mentioned the sauce on July 24, 1749. I've seen that the meal award included spicy and salty food when deserving palace meals(水刺). And I became to like the hot sauce adding the 'zanthoxylum bungeanum(山椒) & cinnamon & Pepper & mustard and preferred the handmade Gochujang from some Saheonbu(Office of the Inspector-General) official's house. The sauce was also made in the palace kitchen and classified as herbal medicine, but it couldn't catch the sauce quality and taste produced by the private noble house.

[@cunegonde4]

I want a kit!

[@rockoorbe2002]

Looks a lot like mole. Which makes me want to try it.

[@coltonvanessa5096]

I would love to get ahold of one of those kits, I wonder if they ship outside of Korea

[@thedeeprot]

looks unreal

[@sida_mo]

Korean food is the best 👍

[@jojoberry6320]

We have gochujang here in our local grocery imported from Korea to the Philippines but haven't tried it because I have no idea how to use it in cooking

[@word42069]

No link to the kit or where we can purchase the Gochujang?