What is your sauce made of?
I’m proud to say that our sauce is made with premium gochujang, the world-famous fermented hot pepper paste that defines Korean cuisine. I’ve taken that quintessential Korean base and blended it with a mix of both Asian and Western ingredients to achieve a deep, rich, and well-balanced sauce that’s a perfect accompaniment for anything that could benefit from a bit of sweet heat! In addition to gochujang, we use soy sauce, sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, tomato paste, and spices to get the flavour and consistency ‘just right’.
What the heck is gochujang anyway, and how is your sauce different from pure gochujang?
Gochujang (literally translated from Korean as “pepper sauce”) is the savory, sweet, and fiery chili paste that goes into practically every Korean dish. The sweetness comes naturally from the grain-based starches that get converted to sugars during the long fermentation process. That ferment, and the special Korean chili pepper powder used to colour it red and make it spicy are what give gochujang its trademark balance between sweetness and heat, as well as its depth and complexity. If you love Korean food, it turns out you already love gochujang! Authentic Korean gochujang is a thick paste but Sung’s Korean Chili Sauce flows beautifully because of the other ingredients used to thin it out and make it more of a well-rounded, stand-alone condiment.
Is your sauce safe for gluten free or vegan diets?
True Korean gochujang is never gluten free, though people have told me that gluten-free gochujang can be found on the market, that’s not what I use. My product uses authentic Korean gochujang made with grain bases that contain gluten. There are no animal products used in the sauce but the product is not technically certified vegan.
What does the sauce taste like?
That’s like asking ‘What does love feel like?’ Ok, fine, I’ll try to describe it! The defining flavours are the deeply rich umami and pepper notes from the fermentation used to make gochujang as well as the natural umami found in tomato and soy sauce. I’ve surrounded that core sweet/hot/salty/earthy taste with a clear twangy sour flavour from the vinegar which makes things much livelier, and then balanced that energy with enough brown sugar to provide loads of mouth feel and body. The result is a sauce that is on par with Sriracha on the heat scale, but miles ahead of it in terms of body, balance, versatility, and happiness factor!
What goes best with the sauce?
The more I use it and the more people send me photos of how they use it, I’m tempted to say that it can go on practically everything! However, I would say the most delicious applications include dumplings, ramen, rice dishes, noodle dishes, grilled and braised proteins, eggs, mac and cheese, avocado toast, pizza, burgers, and BBQ (Korean or conventional). Share your your favourite ways to use Sung’s Korean Chili Sauce on Instagram @sungsauce!
Can I cook with the sauce?
Yes! It makes a great marinade and is a quick and easy way to flavour broths and turn them into deep, rich, spicy stews!
My sauce seems to have settled, is that normal?
Yes that is very normal. Unlike many conventional grocery products that use protein-based binders and carb-based thickeners, Sung’s Korean Chili Sauce will eventually separate, naturally, similar to salad dressing (in our case, it’s the sesame oil separating from the other ingredients). To get your sauce back to its original emulsified state, just give your bottle a vigorous shake before using and you’ll be good to go!
How long have you been selling Sung’s Korean Chili Sauce?
The first bottle of Sung’s Korean Chili Sauce was sold in November of 2021!
Is your sauce authentically Korean?
There are some similar sauces in the Korean culinary world, such as the one that tends to be served in restaurants when bibimbap is ordered (often served in ketchup squeeze bottles!). That sauce is mostly gochujang and, truth be told, was the original inspiration for Sung’s Korean Chili Sauce. I have encountered some other pre-packaged versions in grocery stores and gourmet shops but frankly nothing comes close to ours because of how many ingredients I use and how well balanced it is. So, no, it’s not authentically Korean and I think that’s the charm of the sauce: it’s a true East meets West concoction that can only exist in a world where the originator loves gochujang and Heinz Ketchup in equal measure.
Is there really a guy named Sung?
Uh, yes. Hi. Nice to e-meet you (don’t you hate that phrase?). I was born in Seoul, South Korea and was brought to Canada (Winnipeg, originally, then Toronto) by my parents when I was two years old. Growing up, my mother would make us Korean dishes and Western dishes, so mashing up the two culinary traditions is really something I’ve been doing forever. Making sauce is really just my side gig, but perhaps one day …
Where is your sauce made?
In the beautiful town of Burlington, Ontario, Canada! Ok, perhaps it’s not known as a Korean culinary hot spot, but it’s where I live and it’s very nice. Next question?
Do you ship outside of Canada?
For now we only ship to addresses within Canada.
Do you do collaborations with other brands or chefs?
Yes we do! Please reach out with any pitches or suggestions to sung@doubletiger.ca
“I am OBSESSED with Sung’s Korean Chili Sauce and am forever planning my meals around foods that I can put it on! I’ve given it to my family and friends, and now they can’t get enough of it either!”
– Christine S.“Once it hits your lips (and your taste buds) for the very first time, life will never be the same again. It can take any dish and level it up with a sweet and spicy Korean flavour. I have yet to find something it doesn’t go well with.”
– Keiko V.“Sung’s Chili Sauce has completely replaced Sriracha and Frank’s in my life! We put it on everything – from dumplings to eggs to tacos. Can’t live without it!”
– Lori H.