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Gochugaru: Coarse or Fine, Hot or Mild? Reading the Korean Bag

고춧가루gochutgaru
Short answer
  • For kimchi: 굵은 (coarse) or 김치용 (for kimchi).
  • For gochujang, sauces, soups: 고운 (fine).
  • Heat: 매운맛 hot, 보통맛 regular, 안매운 not hot. Seller words, not a fixed scale.
  • Storage: Once opened, seal it and keep it in the fridge or freezer.

From Korean and US store listings. Sources below.

Gochugaru, Korean red pepper flakes
Gochugaru, Korean red pepper flakes. Photo: Stacy Spensley, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Gochugaru is Korean red pepper powder, the chili in kimchi and many stews. Bags are labeled by grind and by heat, usually in Korean. We found no official heat scale behind the words, so treat them as a guide.

Grind words

On the bagMeansSold for
굵은 (거친)coarsekimchi, fresh kimchi (겉절이), soups[1][2]
김치용for kimchiusually the coarse grind[1][2][3]
고운finegochujang, sauces, soups and water kimchi[4][2][5]
양념용for seasoningkimchi seasoning paste, stir-fries and seasoned side dishes (무침); one brand’s is a medium grind[5]

The use words can vary: on one brand, 양념용 is a medium grind. Go by the grind word, 굵은 or 고운, when the bag has one.[5]

Heat words

매운맛 means hot, 보통맛 regular and 안매운 not hot.[1][6][4] These are the seller’s words. We found no official scale behind them, and no Scoville figure from Taekyung; the shops that quote one give about 4,500 or 4,000–8,000 SHU.[7][8]

Where the peppers grow

A bag made in Korea can use peppers grown elsewhere. Check 원산지 (origin): 국산 means grown in Korea, 중국산 grown in China.[9][4][5] Walmart’s listing for Taekyung, a brand sold in the US, says its peppers are grown on the brand’s farm in China and processed in South Korea.[7] A Canadian listing gives the origin as China, though it also calls them Korean chili peppers.[8]

Storing it

Opened gochugaru soaks up moisture. Seal the bag tightly and keep it in the fridge or freezer, especially in summer. If you freeze it, watch for condensation when you take it out.[5][10]

Label facts

Taekyung gochugaru, sold in the US영양정보·표시사항
Grinds
Coarse (for kimchi) and fine (for gochujang) [11][8]
Bag sizes
Fine: 454 g (1 lb) on an EU listing. Coarse: 500 g in Canada, 7 oz (200 g) on Walmart. [11][8][7]
Peppers grown in
China, processed in South Korea, according to Walmart’s listing. Qualifirst also gives China as the origin. [7][8]
Heat
Two shops quote about 4,500 and 4,000–8,000 SHU. We found no figure from Taekyung. [7][8]

Some US listings are repacks in smaller shaker bottles (one sells 2 × 6 oz bottles, “Packed in USA”, without naming the brand), not Taekyung’s own bag, so sizes and claims vary by seller.[3]

Korean words on this pack

Tap the speaker to hear each word. More in the label words list.

  • 고춧가루gochutgarured chili flakes
  • 굵은gulgeuncoarse (gochugaru for kimchi)
  • 고운gounfine (gochugaru for gochujang and sauces)
  • 김치용gimchiyongfor kimchi
  • 양념용yangnyeomyongfor seasoning
  • 매운맛maeunmatspicy
  • 보통맛botongmatmedium
  • 안매운anmaeunnot spicy
  • 원산지wonsanjicountry of origin (of an ingredient)
  • 국산guksangrown in Korea
  • 중국산jungguksangrown or made in China
  • 냉장 보관naengjang bogwankeep refrigerated

Sources

  1. Wooltari USA: Korean red pepper powder, spicy, 1 kg
  2. Foodspring (in Korean): gochugaru listings by grind and use
  3. Crazy Korean Cooking: coarse gochugaru for kimchi (repack)
  4. Foodspring (in Korean): fine gochugaru 1 kg
  5. Kurly (in Korean): gochugaru, by use
  6. Wooltari USA: Korean red pepper powder, medium, 1 kg
  7. Walmart (marketplace): Taekyung Chili Powder for Kimchi, 7 oz
  8. Qualifirst (Canada): Gochugaru Red Pepper Powder, Coarse, 500 g (Taekyung)
  9. Foodspring (in Korean): gochugaru with origin and maker fields
  10. Wikitree via Brunch (in Korean, 2026): how to store gochugaru
  11. DotAsia (EU): Nongshim Taekyung Fine Red Pepper Powder, 454 g

Checked October 25, 2026. If your pack differs, follow your pack, and tell us so we can update this page.

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