• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to footer-bottom navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to recipes navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Kimchimari

Authentic Korean recipes even YOU can cook!

Free Korean BBQ Cookbook! TAP HERE to GET IT
POPULAR: our 10 takeout favorites
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube

Authentic Korean Recipes Anyone Can Cook

  • New to Korean cooking? Start Here
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Recipes by Alphabet
    • Latest on the Blog
  • Ingredients
    • Korean Ingredient Glossary
    • Pantry Essentials
    • Pantry – Beyond Essentials
    • Korean Ingredients in Depth
  • How To
    • Cooking Basics + Tips
    • Buy + Use
    • Meal Plan
    • Make from scratch
    • Korean Veg Garden
  • Travel
  • Videos
    • Video Recipes
    • Web Stories
  • About
    • About Me
    • Press Interviews and Mentions
  • New to Korean cooking? Start Here
  • Shop
  • Free Korean BBQ Cookbook! TAP HERE to GET IT
  • Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
Home Condiments and Sauces

Primary Sidebar

korean hot mustard paste mixed from powder in glass bowl

Hot Mustard

Korean Name: 겨자

Romanization: Gyeoja

Scientific Classification: Brassica nigra

Also Known As: yellow mustard, oriental hot mustard

Flavor Profile/Texture:

spicy mustardy tangy

Goes well with:

sweet and sour dressing, dipping sauces

What is Korean Hot Mustard (Gyeoja) ?

korean hot mustard gyeoja paste
Korean hot mustard gyeoja paste

Hot Mustard (Gyeoja 겨자) is made from powder obtained from grinding mustard seeds. The mustard is a brighter yellow color and is quite strong and spicy compared to the common American yellow mustard.

It either comes in a tube paste form or you can buy the powder and mix with warm water into a paste like this one -

Korean ottogi mustard powder packet and powder in small bowl
Korean gyeoja hot mustard powder

It is used as a condiment or to add some heat to cold dishes, such as mustard-flavored cold vegetable dishes (gyeoja chae or Naengche) and in sauce for cold noodles (Naengmyeon). You can buy prepared mustard (연겨자, yeon gyeoja) which is sold in tubes at Korean grocery stores.

Not To Be Confused With

American yellow mustard. Oriental or Korean Hot mustard is a lot spicier than the American one.

Where and What To Buy

Asian or Korean grocery stores, Amazon.

Hot mustard comes in 2 forms:

korean hot mustard in tube and powder pack
Korean hot mustard tube and powder

LEFT - Ottogi Yeongyeoja 오뚜기 연겨자 in Tube or CJ are 2 common brands. They are convenient because you can use them right away but note that this is not 100% mustard but a mixture of mustard, sugar, corn oil, turmeric and flavor enhancers. So, be sure to adjust the recipe when using this because my recipes assume 100% mustard.

RIGHT - Ottogi Hot Mustard Powder 오뚜기 겨자분 package. This is 100% mustard powder which means there's no sweet flavor but just pure spicy mustard. Ottogi is the most common and good one to buy. CJ or other brands may exist and probably is not much different as long as it's 100% mustard powder.

can of S&B oriental hot mustard and powder in a bowl next to the can
S&B oriental hot mustard

Optionally, you can also buy the S&B Hot Mustard can powder (pic above) - which is Japanese but it's similar to Korean ones. I buy this often because it has a smaller amount.

How to Use/Cook

When using the powder, mix it with some warm water, let it stand a few minutes for the full flavor to develop before using it in your dish. The Ottogi powder package says 2:3 powder:water ratio and that works well if you are making it as a condiment for Naengmyeon but for other sauces, I find it a bit too watery. So I like to do 1:1 and adjust the water amount later.

It is used in mustard-flavored cold vegetable dishes (gyeoja chae or Naengche) and as a condiment cold noodles (Naengmyeon) or Chapssal Bulgogi.

How to Clean/Store

Store in a similar way to other spices and seasonings. Preferably in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.

Recipes that use it:

finish mul naengmyeon in a bowl with all toppings

Mul Naengmyeon (Korean Cold Noodle Soup) – including bonus IP recipe

Mini Kimbap tray - kimbap two ways

Mini Kimbap (Mayak Kimbap) with Carrot or Cucumber

Korean jellyfish salad (Haepari Naengchae) with lemon and borage petals

Cold Jellyfish Salad (Haepari Naengchae 해파리 냉채 ) with starflower

Cold Buckwheat Noodle Salad (막국수 Makguksu)

Buckwheat Noodles Salad (Korean Makguksu)

Korean Soy Bean Paste (Dwenjang/Deonjang 된장)

Korean Seasonings – A Comprehensive List (양념 Yang nyeom)

Chapsal bulgogi roll

Sweet Rice Bulgogi (찹쌀불고기 Chapssal Bulgogi)

Korean Ingredient Glossary!

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

Explore Ingredients
Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window
featured on
ny times logo
  • COOK
    • Recipe Index
    • Pantry Items
    • Videos
  • LEARN
    • Starter Guide
    • Korean How To’s
    • Travel
join the kimchimari family
Receive Free Cookbook and New Recipes by Email
join now
  • Back to Top
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled

free recipe ebook!

Join to get my FREE cookbook + monthly newsletters + recipe updates!

Thank you for subscribing!

You will receive an email shortly.