Ssamjang | Korean Spicy Soybean Dipping Sauce

Put the doenjang and gochujang in a bowl and mash them together with the back of a spoon. The two pastes have different textures; keep mixing until the color is an even reddish brown. The sauce will be quite thick at this stage; it will be thinned in the following steps.

Grate the garlic, finely chop the scallions, and add them to the paste. Grating the garlic instead of chopping it with a knife helps distribute its sharp flavor evenly through the sauce. Add the sugar and stir to combine.

Stir in the sesame oil; it makes the sauce glossier and helps it release more easily from the spoon. Add the toasted sesame seeds last, since adding them earlier lets them absorb moisture and soften. The sauce should be thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon. If it is too thick, loosen it with a 5 ml measure of water.