For over 30 years, Taekyung has been dedicated to bringing the highest quality Korean red pepper powder to customers around the world. Our story begins in the countryside of Korea, where our founder discovered his passion for growing chili peppers.
Our Founder’s Story
In a small village outside of Seoul, a young farmer named Lee Taekyung worked in his family’s fields growing cabbage, rice, and other staple crops. One season, on a whim, Lee decided to try cultivating a small plot of chili peppers. He was fascinated by the vibrant red color and intense spicy flavor of the first peppers he harvested. Lee quickly realized the potential of these special peppers – both for adding heat and color to traditional Korean cuisine and for bringing the unique taste of Korea to international markets.
Lee dedicated himself to growing the perfect Korean red chili peppers. He experimented with different varieties, carefully controlling every stage of cultivation from sowing to harvest. After years of effort, he succeeded in developing an exceptionally flavorful, aromatic, and spicy red pepper powder called gochugaru.
As demand for Lee’s gochugaru grew, he expanded his operations. In 1986, he officially founded Taekyung Foods Co. to focus on pepper powder production and sales. The company quickly earned a reputation for outstanding product quality and became one of the largest gochugaru suppliers in Korea.
From Local to Global
For many years, Taekyung operated exclusively within Korea, partnering with local food manufacturers and spice companies. In the early 2000s, Lee made a bold decision to bring his products to an international audience.
Taekyung invested in advanced processing facilities to meet global food safety regulations. Our technicians perfected innovative techniques to test and preserve gochugaru’s flavor, aroma, and color during export. In 2005, Taekyung exported our first batch of gochugaru to Japanese markets, taking the first step on our journey to share authentic Korean flavor around the world.
Over the next decade, Taekyung expanded exports throughout Asia and into Western markets, including the United States and Europe. We developed partnerships with major food distributors to supply our gochugaru to restaurants, grocery store chains, food manufacturers, and home cooks. Our global reach now spans over 30 countries, and we take pride in bringing the highest quality gochugaru across oceans and borders.
Commitment to Excellence
From our Korean roots to our growing global business, Taekyung maintains a relentless commitment to product excellence. We control every aspect of the production process – from sourcing top-grade peppers to meticulous quality control testing.
Sourcing the Best Peppers
The secret to amazing gochugaru starts with exceptional peppers. Our agronomists work closely with a network of trusted farmers across Korea to cultivate specific pepper varieties ideally suited for gochugaru. We provide the seeds, guidance, and resources farmers need to optimize pepper growth and flavor development. By managing our supply chain directly, we secure a consistent and abundant source of the perfect peppers year-round.
Traditional Production
Once harvested, our peppers go through a time-honored production process passed down for generations. We remove stems and impurities by hand, then sun-dry the peppers on screens to intensify their flavors and aromas. After drying, we carefully grind the peppers into a fine powder in traditional stone mills. This natural stone-grinding technique preserves the pepper’s essential oils without generating excess heat that could diminish the delicate nuances of flavor.
Rigorous Quality Control
From raw ingredients to finished products, we test extensively to ensure the highest quality and safety. Our on-site lab examines moisture content, color values, capsaicinoids, and other indicators of freshness and potency. We screen for any contaminants and impurities. Supported by our meticulous quality control, we proudly stand behind our gochugaru as 100% pure, natural, and free of any artificial additives or preservatives.
Innovation Through Technology
While grounded in traditional methods, Taekyung also embraces innovative technologies to continually improve our production capabilities. Our facilities utilize automated systems, pneumatic transfer, laser color sorters, and other state-of-the-art equipment to achieve greater precision and efficiency while preserving our products’ integrity. We also research optimal storage and packaging technologies, such as our nitrogen flush method, to keep gochugaru fresh from production to your kitchen.
Our Product Range
Taekyung offers an extensive selection of red pepper powders and chili pastes to suit any preference or purpose.
Gochugaru (Red Pepper Powder)
Our flagship gochugaru leads the market in quality and flavor. Gochugaru comes in different grinds from fine to coarse, with mild to fiery intensity. From the delicate flakes beloved in kimchi to a robust coarsely ground powder perfect in soups and stews, we have the right gochugaru for every dish.
Chili and Soup Pastes
In addition to pure gochugaru, we produce a variety of chili and soup pastes that add complex savory flavor to marinades, sauces, and stews. Our gochujang combines the heat of our gochugaru with sticky sweet rice and fermented soybeans. The syrupy ssamjang mixes gochujang with other ingredients like sesame oil and ginger. Doenjang, a fermented soybean paste, adds earthy umami richness.
Other Pepper Blends
For global palates, we offer unique pepper blends outside of traditional gochugaru. Our dried pepper selection includes mild Aleppo and smoky chipotle varieties. Our all-purpose pepper blend adds complexity without overpowering heat, perfect for tacos, eggs, pizza, and more. Whether you’re cooking traditional Korean food or trying something new, our pepper powders open up a world of flavor.
Organic Options
We now offer certified organic options for many of our pepper products. These are grown and processed according to strict organic farming standards with no synthetic pesticides or additives. Our organic line provides the same amazing Taekyung taste you love, now in an eco-friendly form.
Bringing Korean Flavor to You
Today, Taekyung products enrich kitchens on every continent. Our global distribution network makes our peppers accessible at specialty Asian grocery stores, major supermarkets, and online retailers. We supply bulk ingredients to many major prepared food brands in both retail and foodservice. As the demand for Korean flavors increases worldwide, Taekyung aims to be the trusted provider of authentic, high-quality Korean red pepper powder wherever you are.
Of course, Korea remains at the heart of everything we do. Our headquarters, primary production facilities, and family leadership are still located in our founding village. We strive to honor our Korean heritage through charitable initiatives supporting local communities and sharing Korean culture worldwide.
Across our global business, the principles of our founder guide us: unwavering dedication to product quality, commitment to customers, and bringing people together through the joy of delicious flavor. We are devoted to spreading the rich tastes of Korea far and wide for many generations to come.
Gochu, garu!
