I'm Biggie: avid cook, speedy lunch packer, mom in San Francisco, & former expat fluent in Japanese. 
Kimchi fried rice snack bento
Morning prep time: 2 minutes. Yesterday we went out to watch San Francisco’s huge and wacky Bay to Breakers race, and I threw together a quick snack for Bug in case we weren’t able to eat at a reasonable time. In addition to the blueberries and cherries, we had leftover kimchi fried rice that I’d made the night before with refrigerated rice leftover from a previous dinner. The fried rice also has carrots, red bell peppers, bacon, kamaboko (fish cake), shallots, green onions, egg and Korean chogochujang sauce. I keep some of the flavorful chogochujang sauce on hand in the fridge to eat with grilled veggies, Korean-style sashimi, and to quickly flavor fried rice — it’s complex and has some sweet heat to it, but it won’t blow your head off.
Chogochujang Recipe
(from lifeinkorea.com)
4 Tb gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
2 Tb vinegar
2 Tb sugar
1 Tb garlic juice
1 tsp ginger juice
1 tsp sesame seeds
Mix all ingredients together. This can be made gluten-free by using a brand of gochujang paste that uses rice flour instead of wheat flour.
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READ MORE:
- Need for speed: A mommy’s lunch manifesto
- How to pack a bento lunch and use “gap fillers”
- Choosing the right size bento box
- Packed lunch food safety
- Biggie’s list of top speed tips, tutorials and equipment reviews
May 21st, 2007 | Categories: bento, fish or seafood, for kids, glutenfree, lactose free, meat, recipe, rice | 
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May 22nd, 2007 at 9:44 pm
I found a little tube-type chogochujang sauce at Nijiya. It is easy to use and small enough (I don’t cook Korean that often, so don’t need a huge jar of chogochujang sauce).
May 23rd, 2007 at 10:53 pm
That reminds me, from your description of the heat, of Gator Hammock Swamp Mustard. It’s a little more complex, because it’s got a fruit base, but it is AMAZING on rice, especially with a little salt. I’ve also marinated chicken in it, and to my surprise the sweet/tangy stayed, the heat did not.
(Misleading icon - this is more Cracker Floridian than Caribbean, but it’s as close as I could get. *grin* )
May 23rd, 2007 at 11:11 pm
Ooh, good tip for SF locals. What brand is it? Maybe others can find it at other Japanese or Asian markets, too.
May 23rd, 2007 at 11:14 pm
Hmm, looks interesting. I’ll have to pick some up next time we’re in Florida.
May 23rd, 2007 at 11:36 pm
They ship.
They’re from a teeny town south of La Belle, which is kinda in the middle of nowhere. I don’t know anybody who carries it on the shelf outside of there.
May 24th, 2007 at 1:47 am
Ah, something for the wish list, then.
May 24th, 2007 at 5:46 pm
It is Youki brand, and there are other sauce like Seshuwan hot sauce (Tobanjang), etc, etc. Net WT 3.52oz, forgot how much it was (can’t find receipt, sorry!) but guess around $2. Oh, and no MSG.
May 25th, 2007 at 12:40 am
Ah, thanks for the info, yumi! I like Youki’s gara soup (Chinese chicken stock) granules — I’d be curious to try their pastes as well.
January 8th, 2013 at 4:16 pm
I’ve been looking all over for a gochujang that is gluten free. Do you know of a brand that is? I’d love to find one in my Super Hmart (korean grocery market).