KOREAN PANTRY STAPLES

These ingredients should all be refrigerated except for the soy sauce. Many Korean ingredients are available online or at Korean or Asian stores.

GOCHUJANG Korean fermented chili paste— savoury, hot, with a touch of sweetness.

DOENJANG Fermented soy bean paste. It is less spicy than gochujang and rich in umami flavours. Somewhat salty but it cooks out. You can substitute brown miso.

KOREAN CHILI POWDER A milder chili powder than some available at Asian stores. There is no real substitute but I have used togarashi in its place. SESAME OIL Added as a seasoning not necessarily for cooking.

SESAME SEEDS Both black and white, a garnish on many dishes.

SOY SAUCE Preferably Japanese or Korean. RICE Japanese sushi rice is used extensively as a side dish. It has a slightly sticky grain and is available in white and brown. Koreans favour a mixture of brown and white for healthier eating.

ROOT & FRUIT

You can find yuzu juice in many Japanese and East Asian food stores or buy it online at shop.southchinaseas.ca. Its unique flavour and delicious sharpness cut the sweetness of the soju and the liqueur. If it’s unavailable, use fresh tangerine or grapefruit juice with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

2 oz Chamisul Fresh Soju, chilled

½ oz Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur ½ oz yuzu juice

½ oz orange juice

Dash of orange bitters

1 Stir all the ingredients with ice, then strain into a coupe. Garnish with a twist of orange zest. Makes 1 drink