Sriracha Gets A New Competitor: Gochujang

A lot of diners out there can’t seem to get enough hot sauce, so it should come as no shock that there’s another Asian chili paste that is poised to take the culinary academy by storm.

Sriracha, a spicy sauce that has been used on everything from burgers to brunch, is a Thai product that many Americans have been recently raving about. However, it was only a matter of time before a competitor would enter the culinary race – and fridges.

According to Bon Appetit magazine, 2013 is going to be the year when many chefs taking online culinary courses are going to hear about gochujang, a Korean chili paste that until now could only be found in Koreatowns. The magazine says that its flavor is a lot like sriracha’s, but still has a kick of miso to set it apart from the other hot sauces. To get started using this popular condiment, they suggested putting it on egg sandwiches or tossing it with your favorite buffalo wing sauce.

Esther Choi from The Food Network agreed, calling gochujang “next best thing you ever ate.” She says that this sauce is traditionally served with a famous Korean rice dish called bibimpap, but she also said that gochujang is excellent with traditional American favorites – including burgers, hot dogs and fries.