Add a Bit of Seoul to Your Menu: Tapping Korean Flavor Demand with Gochujang
Published October 2026
Capitalize on fast-growing consumer interest in Korean cuisine using versatile, back-of-house-friendly flavor solutions that fit seamlessly into your existing back-of-house operations.
Korean-style foods are actively shaping the broader culinary landscape across the U.S. foodservice spectrum. Diners are continually drawn to its irresistible mix of comfort, heat, tang, and craveable complexity. From the deep umami of classic ferments to the sweet-savory balance of distinctive barbecue, guests are sending a clear signal to operators: keep Korean flavors coming.
For foodservice decision-makers, the challenge lies in capturing this guest demand without disrupting an establishment’s brand identity or adding friction to back-of-house execution. Fortunately, injecting a little “Seoul power” doesn’t mean your core menu has to undergo a seismic shift. Simple menu tweaks—often to existing diner favorites—can have a big flavor impact.
Leveraging Gochujang as an Approachable Flavor Builder
Gochujang is a thick, spicy paste typically made from red chile powder (gochugaru), fermented soybeans, rice flour, sweeteners and salt. In its Top 10 Trends for 2025, Flavor & The Menu declared gochujang “the ambassador of Korean condiments, moving into the pantheon of modern flavor builders … closing in on Sriracha as a go-to source of funky heat.” The numbers support that claim: In 2023, Datassential estimated gochujang had enjoyed a 48 percent increase in menu penetration over the previous four years.
Adaptable and highly versatile, gochujang—as a paste, a sauce, a powder or a seasoning blend—can be a hero ingredient that serves as an accessible and authentic gateway to trend-forward menus that today’s customers expect.
“We’re seeing Korean flavor profiles coming in strong in different dayparts, delivering a dynamic interplay with sweet, heat, umami and a little bit of tang in every bite. When you have a recipe that needs ‘something,’ it’s typically an umami flavor that you’re looking for to bring it all together.”
— Chef Deb Hey, Corporate Chef, CJ Schwan’s
Simplifying Kitchen Execution with Versatile Sauce Solutions
bibigo™ Gochujang Hot & Sweet Sauce provides the perfect means for tapping into Korean flavors without overwhelming the operator or the customer.
“Made with gochujang paste, the product’s sauce format doesn’t overpower. It’s more subtle, working to enhance the ingredients that it is paired with.” — Chef Deb Hey
According to Datassential (Global Flavors) 2025 research, 81 percent of operators view versatile sauces as the key to incorporating global flavors onto menus.
Low-Labor Menu Applications for Full-Service Kitchens
These inspirations are a good fit for many broadline fast-casual brands making initial or expanded forays into offering Asian flavors.
Sauces, Dips, and Condiments: Use bibigo™ Gochujang Hot & Sweet Sauce by itself or mix in plus-one ingredients like garlic, ginger, or sesame.
- Offer multiple versions as a gochujang sauce flight of dips for Asian-style appetizers or any number of other dippables, from fried cheese sticks to wings to veggies.
- Consider spiking mayonnaise, mustard or ketchup with the sauce to create a signature topping on burgers, sandwiches and wraps.
Inspirational Entrées and Surprising Sides
- Try a gochujang grilled cheese (featuring gochujang butter) with sweet tomato jam on toasted sourdough.
- Top ground beef with a gochujang gravy plus sesame mashed potatoes in a Korean-style shepherd’s pie.
- Reinvent chicken and waffles with a gochujang-infused honey.
- Fuse Asian and Italian flavors by simmering steamed dumplings in an unexpected gochujang-rosé sauce.
- Serve up roasted carrots finished with maple syrup, gochujang and toasted sesame.
- Add gochujang and kimchi to coleslaw recipes.
- Put it on the table along with hot sauce, ketchup and mustard.
- Use the portion-controlled packaging for take-away meals.
Delectable Desserts: Gochujang can add depth and intrigue to baked goods like cookies and brookies.
- Drizzle gochujang sauce over ice cream for a sweet-heat moment or add it to a caramel sauce for a sundae drizzle or a baked caramel apple crisp.
- Warm, fried doughnuts tossed in honey butter that boasts a hint of gochujang deliver a sweet-spicy finish.
Meeting Diners’ Demands for Authenticity
Today’s diners are informed, highly perceptive, and quick to recognize authentic flavor depth. CJ Schwan’s brings deep culinary experience and expertise in Korean food culture—including fermentation and sauce development—to help kitchens execute with total confidence.
See the original article written in partnership with Flavor & The Menu