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korean coarse sea salt on small black bowl on wood

Coarse Sea Salt

Korean Name: 굵은소금

Romanization: Gulgeun-sogeum

Scientific Classification: Sodium Chloride (NaCl)

Also Known As: Bada Sogeum 바다소금, Cheonilyeom 천일염

Flavor Profile/Texture:

salty mineraly

Substitutes:

pickling salt

Goes well with:

pickling vegetables, soups

What is Korean Coarse Sea Salt (Gul-geun Sogeum) ?

coarse sea salt sprinkled on wood surface
korean coarse sea salt gulgeun sogeum

Korean Coarse Sea Salt (Gul-geun Sogeum 굵은소금) is different from many other sea salts due to the way the salt is dried. Korean sea salt is still made the old-fashioned way of drying in salt flats in sun. So, these salts have a more earthy and slightly bitter taste than other salts while having lower sodium than most. There are many other Korean salts so be sure to READ more about the different salts on my Korean Salt Guide post.

Although Gul-Geun Sogeum just means 'coarse salt' - when Koreans say 'coarse salt', it is implied that one is talking about coarse sea salt. Whereas, Goeun Sogeum 고운소금 which means 'fine salt' doesn't always imply fine sea salt.

Coarse Sea Salt is used for brining kimchi vegetables, for pickling, or when making fermented bean sauces or salting fishes in Korean cooking.

The kind of salt has a large effect on the outcome of these dishes so it is best to use Korean coarse sea salt (Cheonilyeom 천일염) when making these. You can read more about what is the best salt for Kimchi in my Best Salt and Kimchi post.

Not To Be Confused With

꽃소금 Kkotsogeum, 고운소금 Goeun Sogeum (fine salt which many not be sea salt), 맛소금 mat-sogeum (salt with msg added), 구운소금 Gooeun Sogeum (roasted salt)

Where and What To Buy

You can buy different brands at Korean grocery stores or online on my Amazon store. 

There are different brands that are similarly good. I like The Salt 더솔트 brand but that's not always available online. Look for others that say -

천일염, 굵은 바다소금

 

How to Use/Cook

Korean coarse sea salt that's sun-dried is a must for Kimchi making, Gochujang and other fermenting recipes but can be also used for all recipes. Note, I don't use it in my non-Kimchi recipes though because I try to make it easy for people to make without this particular salt. I use regular fine sea salt like Trader Joe's which are saltier than this coarse sea salt.

If you are going to use this sea salt for cooking my recipes, I recommend that you add more to taste. 

How to Clean/Store

You can store this salt in the package in the pantry for a long time but I like to store them in a breathable onggi (jar) so more bittern 간수 is removed over time. You can read my Salt and Kimch post to understand why this is important.

Nutrition/Health Info

  • Korean coarse sea salt that's sundried (aka Cheonilyeom or Solar Sea Salt) has trace of various minerals and has lower sodium level than many other salts.
Click here to read more about Coarse Sea Salt

Recipes that use it:

Kkakdugi fully ripe - plated on leaf shaped green dish

Kkakdugi – Cubed Radish Kimchi Recipe

putbaechu kimchi in glass bowl on straw mat

Easy Putbaechu (Seoul Green Cabbage) Kimchi for Summer!

side by side picture of kimchi made with celtic sea salt and korean sea salt

Best Salt for Kimchi – Comparing 12 Salts (Korean vs Others)

Hobak Bokkeum close up on white shallow bowl on white table cloth

Hobak Bokkeum (Stir-Fried Zucchini)

closeup of korean bamboo salt pile on black slate

Korean Salt Guide

closeup of nabak kimchi in glass bowl with a place setting of spoon

Nabak Kimchi (Simple Water Kimchi with 6 Ingredients) – VG, GF

Easy Kimchi Recipe using the Blender

Cucumber Kimchi (Oi Kimchi) closeup

Cucumber Kimchi with Chives – Vegan

Mul Water Radish Kimchi

Water Kimchi (물김치 Mul Kimchi) with Watermelon Radish

easy gochujang recipe mix

Easy Homemade Gochujang Recipe – Almost Instant!

Freshly made gochujang ready for 6 month fermentation - close up

How to make Gochujang at home!

cbrined cabbages for Kimjang Kimchi

Tips on brining cabbage for Kimchi

cabbage kimchi (yangbaechoo kimchi 양배추 김치)

Green Cabbage Kimchi (양배추 김치 Yangbaechu Kimchi)

Korean Ingredient Glossary!

Learn about over 100 popular Korean ingredients in our new ingredient glossary!

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