# Korean chili pepper

Also known as gochu, 고추, putgochu, 풋고추, honggochu, 홍고추, Korean hot pepper, Korean red pepper, Korean dark green pepper, Korean long green pepper.
Species: Capsicum annuum.

Korean chili pepper is a Capsicum annuum cultivar from Korean Peninsula, South Korea. Capsi’s sourced range is 65–43,596 SHU (Lab-verified). Flavor is sweet, fruity, slightly smoky. Used for Fresh green pods (putgochu) eaten raw with ssamjang or doenjang, Pickled, Stuffed and fried as gochu twigim, Sliced into stews and stir-fries, Ripe red pods (honggochu) sun-dried as taeyangcho and ground into gochugaru. Heat is a range, not a single marketing number.
About 1/2.5 the typical heat of a Capsi Jalapeño (25,086 SHU).

## Heat sources

- 65–24,614 SHU · Lab-verified
  Ku, Kyung Hyung; Lee, Kyung-A; Koo, Minseon (2014) Korean Journal of Food Preservation · HPLC
  DOI: 10.11002/kjfp.2014.21.4.451
  https://doi.org/10.11002/kjfp.2014.21.4.451

- 200–43,596 SHU · Lab-verified
  Ku, Kyung-Hyung; Lee, Kyung-A; Park, Jae-Bok (2012) Preventive Nutrition and Food Science · HPLC
  DOI: 10.3746/pnf.2012.17.1.029
  https://doi.org/10.3746/pnf.2012.17.1.029

- 10,032 SHU · Lab-verified
  Dang, Yun Mi; Hong, Young Shin; Lee, Cheong Mi; Khan, Naeem; Park, Sunhyun; Jeong, Seung-Weon; Kim, Kyong Su (2018) Analytical Letters · HPLC
  DOI: 10.1080/00032719.2017.1376679
  https://doi.org/10.1080/00032719.2017.1376679

- 19,000–22,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  Hot Pepper, Korean (Organic)
  https://www.adaptiveseeds.com/product/vegetables/peppers/hot-pepper-korean-organic/

- 5,000–7,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  Hot Pepper, Hong Gochu Large (Organic)
  https://www.adaptiveseeds.com/product/vegetables/peppers/hot-pepper-hong-gochu-large-organic/

- 1,000–5,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  Korean Gochu Pepper Seeds
  https://pepperguru.com/product/korean-gochu-pepper-seeds/

- 500–1,500 SHU · Vendor Claim
  Pepper Seeds, Hot, Korean, Gochu Vita Green, Hybrid
  https://trueleafmarket.com/products/pepper-seeds-hot-korean-gochu-vita-green-hybrid

- 1,500–10,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  Pepper, Gochugaru
  https://www.siskiyouseeds.com/products/pepper-gochugaru

- 3,000–5,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  Korean Gochujang Pepper
  https://rebecvalleyfarm.com/product/korean-gochujang-pepper/

- 5,000–10,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  Gochugaru Chile Flakes
  https://www.thespicehouse.com/products/gochugaru-chiles

- 6,000–10,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  Non-GMO Korean Pepper Flakes Coarse Grind for Kimchi
  https://shop.crazykoreancooking.com/products/non-gmo-gochugaru-korean-red-pepper-flakes-coarse-grind-6-oz

## Heritage

We don't have a documented family for this pepper yet.

## Page sources

- [Species, Korean names, ~1,500 SHU for green fruit, and late-16th-century introduction via Japan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_chili_pepper)
- [1,500–10,000 SHU range for Korean chili / gochugaru, flavor, and taeyangcho sun-drying](https://pepperscale.com/what-is-gochugaru/)
- [Cho & Kwon 2020 capsaicinoid database: Korean chili pepper green 4.86 mg/100 g and ripe red 9.71 mg/100 g fresh](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7455983/)
- [Reputable seed catalog: Capsicum annuum hong gochu, 75 days green / 90 days red, kimchi and gochugaru use](https://www.adaptiveseeds.com/product/vegetables/peppers/hot-pepper-hong-gochu-large-organic/)
- [Culinary profile of gochugaru — fruity, sweet, smoky heat compared with poblano or jalapeño](https://www.bonappetit.com/story/gochugaru-korean-chile-flakes)
- [Home-garden growing guide for gochu: warm-season annual, germination, transplant temperatures, days to maturity](https://morningchores.com/growing-gochu/)
- [Produce reference for fresh Korean green and red chilies, sizes, and culinary forms including gochugaru and silgochu](https://www.clovegarden.com/ingred/cp_korjz.html)
- [History, Yeongyang and Goesan production districts, and mild/medium/hot gochugaru grades](https://www.umamicart.com/what-is-gochugaru/)

## FAQ
### How hot is Korean chili pepper?

Capsi’s sourced range is 65–43,596 SHU (Lab-verified). Capsi uses a sourced range and a trust tier, not a single marketing number. How we verify heat: https://web.thecapsi.app/learn/heat-and-capsaicin/how-we-measure-heat

### What does Korean chili pepper taste like?

Fresh green pods taste grassy and crisp with gentle heat. Ripe and especially sun-dried fruit adds sweetness, light fruitiness, and a faint smoke that is the signature of gochugaru — warmth more than fire, without cayenne’s sharp bitterness.

### How do I grow Korean chili pepper?

Korean chili pepper: about 90 days to maturity, temperate climate, full sun, hardiness zones 9-11.

### What can I substitute for Korean chili pepper?

Capsi does not have that recorded yet.

Page: https://web.thecapsi.app/pepper/korean-chili-pepper
Catalog: https://web.thecapsi.app/data