How do I start cooking Korean food at home but I'm overwhelmed by all the unfamiliar ingredients at the supermarket?

Stocking a Korean kitchen is more affordable than you'd think, and you only need about 12 to 15 essentials to cook 80 percent of home Korean dishes. The non-negotiables are gochujang (고추장, fermented red chili paste, 5,000 won/500g, brand recommendation: Sunchang or CJ Haechandle), gochugaru (고춧가루, Korean red pepper flakes, 8,000 won/500g, get coarse ground for kimchi, fine for stews), doenjang (된장, fermented soybean paste for soups), soy sauce (간장, both regular for cooking and yangjo for dipping), sesame oil (참기름, get pure 100 percent), sesame seeds, and minced garlic (다진마늘, the jarred kind sold by Manjun is a huge time saver).

For proteins and stocks: dried anchovies (멸치) and dried kelp (다시마) for broth, beef bone broth concentrate (사골) in a pinch, and gim (김) seaweed sheets. Vegetables to keep on hand: napa cabbage, daikon radish (mu), green onions, garlic, ginger, perilla leaves (kkaennip), and bean sprouts (kongnamul, often free with deliveries). For carbs: short-grain rice (Korean white rice or mixed grains 잡곡), rice cakes (떡, frozen ones for tteokbokki), and Korean wheat noodles (somyeon, kalguksu).

Where to shop: Emart, Lotte Mart, and Hanaro Mart for full ranges, and the Korean section of Costco for bulk gochujang and meat. Coupang Eats, Market Kurly, and SSG deliver groceries to your door, with Market Kurly's premium ingredients being especially good for serious cooks. For specialty stuff, traditional markets like Gwangjang Market and Mangwon Market have the best fermented goods directly from grandmothers (and they're cheaper). Maangchi's YouTube channel and the Korean Bapsang website have foreigner-friendly recipes calling out exact Korean brand names. Start with kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew), bibimbap, and bulgogi as they use the most basic ingredients.