A Step-by-Step Guide to Spicy Food

Korean spiciness is not just one thing. Depending on the ingredient, it can come across as sweet, earthy and heavy, or sharp and peppery.

• Gochujang is a red paste made by fermenting chili, grains, salt, and other ingredients. It tastes both sweet and salty. You’ll often find it in bibim sauces, stir-fry seasonings, and stew bases.
• Gochugaru, Korean red pepper flakes, are made from dried chilies ground into a coarse powder. They are often used in kimchi, stews, and seasoned vegetable dishes. In broth, they turn the soup red and bring a heat that tends to build gradually.
• Cheongyang gochu, a small hot green chili, is sharp and spicy. When sliced in raw, it has a strong aroma and a prickly heat on the tongue. Even a small amount in soup, hot pot, stir-fries, or dipping sauce can make a dish feel suddenly very spicy.

Every restaurant mixes its seasonings differently. Even dishes with the same name can vary in heat depending on the region, the restaurant, and the person cooking.

If you don’t handle spicy food well, make your first meal something with a clear broth, soy-sauce seasoning, or grilled meat. Dishes where the red seasoning comes on the side are easier to control.

• Galbitang is a clear soup made by simmering beef short ribs. It is usually seasoned at the table with salt or pepper, and red pepper seasoning may be added according to taste.
• Seolleongtang is a milky beef-bone soup. Many places let you season it yourself with salt, scallions, and pepper. Kimchi is served separately, so you can add only as much as you want.
• Kalguksu is a noodle dish with wheat noodles served in broth. There are many versions, including clam, chicken, and seafood, and the basic broth is usually on the mild side.
• Bulgogi is meat in a sweet-savory soy sauce marinade. In many places, spicy seasoning is not the default.
• Gimbap is rice and fillings rolled in seaweed. Some versions include spicy kimchi or chili, so check whether it is the basic gimbap.
• Japchae is a stir-fried dish of glass noodles and vegetables. It is usually not spicy.

If you want to ease into Korean food, start with dishes where you can control the seasoning yourself. Foods you mix or dip are easier to pace.

• Bibimbap is rice mixed with seasoned vegetables, meat or egg, and other toppings. If the gochujang sauce comes separately, add it little by little. Some restaurants serve it with the gochujang already on top of the rice, so ask before ordering.
• Ssam-bap is a meal of rice and side dishes wrapped in lettuce or perilla leaves. If you use only a little of the spicy paste, it can be relatively mild.
• Kimchi Jeon is a savory pancake made with kimchi. The kimchi itself may be spicy, but the oily batter softens the heat a little.
• Ramyeon often has a spicy broth and seasoning packet. At snack shops or highway rest stops, it may be hard to ask for it less spicy.
• Yangnyeom Chicken is chicken coated in a sweet-spicy sauce. If you want to control the amount, order fried chicken and ask for the seasoning sauce on the side.

At first, take one bite and wait. Korean-style heat sometimes doesn’t hit right away, then grows stronger after a few more bites.

Stews, stir-fries, and cold noodle sauces often arrive already mixed. From this level on, even if you ask for less spice, the base seasoning may still be noticeably spicy.

• Kimchi Jjigae is a stew boiled with kimchi, pork, tofu, and other ingredients. Depending on how fermented the kimchi is and how much gochugaru is used, it can be both spicy and sour.
• Sundubu-jjigae is a hot stew with soft tofu. Many restaurants serve a red broth as the default, though some have a white sundubu option.
• Tteokbokki is a snack dish of rice cakes simmered in a spicy-sweet sauce. Even if it looks sweet, the heat comes in afterward.
• Dak-galbi is chicken and vegetables stir-fried in a spicy sauce. Many places cook it at the table, so you need to ask for it less spicy right when you order.
• Bibim Naengmyeon is cold noodles mixed with a spicy sauce. If you want to control the heat, ask in advance for the sauce to be served separately.
• Stir-fried Spicy Pork is pork stir-fried in a red seasoning sauce. Even with rice, the heat can linger quite a bit.

Challenge-level dishes can be intense even for people used to spicy food. If you have a long travel day ahead or a sensitive stomach, it’s better not to push yourself.

• Spicy Fish Soup is a spicy broth dish made with fish and vegetables. As the soup keeps boiling, it can become more concentrated and hotter.
• Yukgaejang is a red soup made with beef, scallions, bracken fern, and other ingredients. Many versions have a strong flavor of chili oil and gochugaru.
• Stir-fried Octopus is octopus stir-fried over high heat in a spicy sauce. It is often mixed with rice, but the seasoning is powerful.
• Fire Chicken Noodles are known as very spicy stir-fried noodles. If you see them at a convenience store or on a snack-shop menu, they’re best for people who handle heat well.

It’s hard to rely on menu wording alone to judge spice level. Check the spice icons, photos, and staff explanations together.

In Korean restaurants, short requests usually work well. Say them before you order for the best chance of success. Stews or stir-fries that have already been cooked may be hard to make completely mild.

• “Deol maepge hae juseyo” means “Please make it less spicy.” This is the most basic request.
• “Gochujang ppaego juseyo” means “Please leave out the gochujang.” It is useful for dishes mixed with sauce, such as Bibimbap or Bibim Guksu.
• “Gochugaru jogeumman neoeo juseyo” means “Please add only a little gochugaru.” You can use it when ordering soups or stir-fries.
• “Cheongyanggochu ppae juseyo” means “Please leave out the Cheongyang chilies.” It’s helpful when you want to reduce that sharp, peppery heat.
• “Soseuneun ttaro juseyo” means “Please put the sauce on the side.” This makes it easier to control the heat with chicken, jeon, and noodle dishes.
• “Aido meogeul su itge hae juseyo” means “Please make it mild enough for a child to eat.” Use it when you want to ask for something very mild.

Vegetarian options, allergies, seafood, and whether a dish uses meat broth all vary by restaurant. Even if a dish is not red, it may contain anchovy broth, shrimp sauce, or meat stock, so you should always confirm directly.

If you order something spicy and struggle with it, don’t force yourself to keep eating. Many Korean restaurants serve several side dishes. Rice, broth, and mild sides can help you slow down.

• Steamed Egg is a soft, warm steamed egg dish. Many people order it alongside spicy stir-fries or stews.
• Baekkimchi is white kimchi made without gochugaru. Not every restaurant has it, so ask.
• Dongchimi is a cool radish water kimchi. It may help calm the heat for a little while.
• Cold Buckwheat Noodles are cold noodles in broth. They are often a milder choice than Bibim Naengmyeon.

When food is spicy, drinking only water over and over can leave the burning sensation in your mouth lingering. Many people look for rice, eggs, dairy such as milk or yogurt, or sweet drinks. Everyone reacts differently, so if you feel unwell, stop eating and take a break.