Even if you haven’t heard the word gochujang, you’re probably familiar with the taste profile. Made from hot chilli powder, fermented soybeans and glutinous rice powder, the thick sauce can also be called hot pepper paste.

It’s the Korean equivalent of miso; an umami-packed all rounder that works with basically everything. The fermented soybeans yield a deeper, more savoury flavour than other hot sauces and there’s also an underlying sweetness, delivering flavour as well as heat.

So, step aside sriracha. We still love you, but gochujang is the new go-to hot sauce.

Why? As well as stirring into dishes, gochujan serves as a base sauce to other condiments such as ssamjang, the dark red sauce served with lettuce cups at Korean barbecue restaurants.

It’s an excellent marinade or glaze for pork, beef or chicken, and can perk up the plainest mayonnaise (use Kewpie for extra points, though, especially alongside Korean fried chicken).

Thin it out with a little water and soy for an instant soup base, ready to be loaded with noodles and tofu, or simmer into a thicker stew for seafood and vegetables.

It’s cheap as chips and available from Asian grocers, but if you’re really hard core and can wait a few months for things to ferment and funky, try making your own.