Theres Korean flakes cheap on amazon called Gochugaru. Should last a long time. Basically a more sophisticated version of cayenne and red pepper flakes. Less intense on the mouth. Good in anything even pizza. Using it by the cup to make stews and soups with cool color, awesome heat and flavor.
Also sounds right your your alley considering all the asian inspired ingredients you used.
If you exhaust your local sources with no success you can try Amazon. Here for instance (but not the only gochugaru at Amazon).
The only thing that's truly necessary that you might have trouble finding is the Korean chili pepper flakes, but you can get those on Amazon. Some recipes call for salted shrimp, but you can leave that out and still get good kimchi out of it-- I didn't have any for the first batch I made and it turned out delicious.
I know how you feel. The difficulty of finding correct ingredients is both challenging and frustrating. Coarse ground is the proper one for Baechu Kimchi for sure. But then having such 'specialized one' can be a luxury for remote areas. (I had the pleasure of cooking Korean food with limited items before and even made Kimchi with fine grind before - didn't die. Taste is not perfect of course.)
If you have access to Amazon delivery and budget allows, try getting both:
p.s. I use fine grind for almost everything except for big baechu kimchi. (Thus, 90% of my consumption is fine grind - soups etc).
Amazon sells gochugaru for $10
It’s a totally different flavor profile than regular chili flakes, so unfortunately it won’t taste the same without it
You can use this to make all kinds of Korean dishes though beyond kimchi
Do you have access to Amazon at reasonable rates, or any online Asian markets? I have used this type of Chili flake in the past to make chili oil, and it imparts a nice red color, and good flavor. Also available on most online Asian markets... https://www.amazon.com/Taekyung-Chili-Powder-Kimchi-Flake/dp/B005G8IDTQ/ref=sr\_1\_4?crid=22UPZX2PEV5DJ&keywords=korean+chili+flakes&qid=1649099101&s=grocery&sprefix=korean+chili%2Cgrocery%2C85&sr=1-4
Thanks. One more question -
I need to get Gochugaru too but they all seem to be Packaged in Korea, produced in China
. I am unable to find a produced in Korea of the pepper flakes. Thoughts?
Gojujang isn't a powder, so I'm not sure why it would be marketed in powder form. Look at the ingredients list. I don't add sugar or thickeners to my jjampong, so you don't want to use gojujang. New Mexico chile powder would probably be the closest American chile for substitution purposes. Definitely don't use "chili powder" which also has cumin in it. Also Amazon is a thing.
Yes. It’s called Gochugaru and you can find it at amazon or any Asian grocery store that has Korean spices. I have a huge jar, it is spicy but has a sweetness that is different than the “pizza” red pepper flakes. Hope that makes sense? I cook a ton of Korean food. It’s so easy and tasty!
"Gochugaru" - Korean Red Pepper Flakes/Powder. I use this brand.
Sorry, I'm not OP. But I make Kimchi very often.
You can make your own kimchi. I know that typically requires quite a bit of advance planning, but there are, for example, quick kimchi recipes, and while they feature one major exotic ingredient -- Korean chile pepper flakes, better known as gochugaru -- you can order the stuff off Amazon. And if you don't want to make your own kimchi, substitute the kimchi juice for gochujang, which can also be purchased from Amazon, or, just as likely, you can find gochujang in a lot of grocery stores now (at least where I live, I haven't canvassed the country).
I cook everything from French food to American to African stuff. You'd be amazed what you can substitute, and how you rarely have to go to specialty stores for what you need. I have the benefit of an East Asian supermarket near me, but to be honest, nearly everything I've found there, I have later found in other grocery stores. The only exceptions have been the truly, truly obscure stuff (ever had a recipe call for a jar of tiny, pickled shrimp?), and I typically don't make those recipes again.
I do understand the frustration -- despite how much I love to cook, I hate shopping -- but there are always options, and usually they aren't very difficult ones.
You also don't need any oil (sub korean chilli pepper flakes) and it will come out just as good. Sub sugar for maple syrup works great too :)
Thank you...It was pretty easy.... Here is the original link I followed and the photo is a double batch.
1 head nappa cabbage Chopped up Salted well Cover in water Soak 2 hours
1 bunch of Scallions, chopped into matchstick pieces
3 carrots, julienned
1 Daikon radish, peeled cut into French fry pieces
Pickling paste recipe
3 Bartlett pears, peeled and sliced 6 cloves garlic 4 inch piece peeled fresh ginger 3 tablespoon Fish sauce
pureed
Add 1 cup gochugaru https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005G8IDTQ/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_TB14ZN4VPKHW50QVQCG5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Mix well, set to side
Drain cabbage, rinse salt off
Mix well with paste
Pack tight into glass jar, seal
Ferment 7 days
Enjoy
I bought these: Tae-kyung Korean Red Chili Pepper Flakes Powder Gochugaru, 1 Lb… https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B005G8IDTQ/
I didn't measure but I added about a half cup of these Chile flakes. You think I should add more? Hmm maybe it is too wet. I did the method from this book where you soak the veggies in a strong brine for 4 hrs then drain it, add the blended garlic/shallot/ginger/chili paste and then put into your fermentation container. I guess I didn't drain it enough or squeeze out the liquid. Any tips are appreciated! I usually make a few batches a year but it comes out different every time.
This is the one I buy, and I like it a lot.
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I forgot to mention I used 2 cups of chili powder and this bomb stuff on amazon that my friend reccomended
I got a 1 lb bag off Amazon...made a few batches of kimchi and still have a bunch left. It’s got some kick!
Tae-kyung Korean Red Chili Pepper Flakes Powder Gochugaru, 1 Lb https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005G8IDTQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_WfcDEbZRF856M
Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru) can be bought online for relatively cheap, such as here. Stored in the freezer it'll last for a very long time so buying in bulk is OK. It's good for use in homemade kimchi, stews, soups, and veggie side dishes.
Your small jar of Kimchi should be plenty for 4, a little goes a long way. My recommendation would be to start with a recipe for regular ramen then just use the kimchi as one of the toppings.
As for what type of ramen, a thick and rich Tonkotsu broth would be a nice pairing with the acidity of kimchi.J Kenji Lopez-Alt has a great recipe if you're down to make it from scratch.