Overall
Insanely simple ingredients with maximum flavor and freshness. Highly versatile applications, fun/clean, and effective to use. A true gem in today’s noisy offerings of spicy sauces.
How I use it
Although I feel very comfortable navigating through the home kitchen, cleaning up is always a point of friction that keeps me from making a lot of my favorite foods. Komo Kimchi Paste is a lifesaver when it comes to having high-quality and healthy ways to incorporate umami into dishes.
Simple
When I want a complex and umami fresh chili heat with some serious fresh ginger flavors that perk up at the end, I use Komo Kimchi Paste - small amounts add subtle sweet/umami/fresh aromatics flavors. Larger amounts allow Komo Kimchi Paste to support an already delicious tomato into something that’s so addictive that I’ll have it everyday for a week (this is rare, as I seldom enjoy eating the same thing more than once a week.) A weeknight/tired meal lifesaver, I’ve used Komo Kimchi Paste in a pinch with knife cut noodles, browned butter and leftover rotisserie chicken, which my roommate said “had no business tasting this good in so little time.” It’s also really delicious with mild/creamy to briny and salty cheeses served with nice crusty bread (komo kimchi paste x greek feta is a dream - think Korean tyrokafteri).
I’ve also served KKP with a broiled caramelized napa cabbage dish, which my friends unprompted ask how the sauce was made, since it complimented the dish so well. KKP also works great with fresh vegetal sauces like green sauce/ papi chulo.
More involved: The paste holds its own without having to add any of the usual fresh ingredients for napa cabbage kimchi like garlic chives, radish, and carrots. The packaging style makes adding controlled quantities of kimchi paste very clean and contained.
It’s amazing what Crystal has been able to achieve with so much love for her cultural foods.