Sempio (007540) said on the 8th that the hit film "The Man Who Lives with the King" has sparked renewed interest in products that modernize foods once enjoyed in the Joseon royal court.
One standout product is Joseon Gochujang. Sempio developed it by reinterpreting the secret gochujang recipe enjoyed by King Yeongjo, drawing from historical records.
The product was inspired by an entry in the Seungjeongwon Ilgi noting that King Yeongjo turned to gochujang when his appetite waned. The company analyzed old recipes, modernized the formula, and spent 10 years bringing the product to market.
To live up to the concept of a Joseon king’s gochujang, Sempio paid meticulous attention to every step, from selecting ingredients to final production.
Instead of corn syrup, they used a rice-fermented syrup made with malt, which gives the paste a delicate sweetness reminiscent of a well-brewed sikhye (sweet rice drink).
To create an authentic jang flavor, Sempio handpicked high-quality, unblemished soybeans, boiled them at high temperature and pressure in a cauldron, and pounded them using a patented traditional mortar method to encourage deeper fermentation.
They also boosted umami and a toasty, nutty aroma by fermenting whole tojang meju blocks without extracting the soy sauce.
A Sempio spokesperson said, "We combined Sempio’s fermentation expertise with our research into traditional flavors to create Joseon Gochujang. It meets the growing demand for premium Korean cuisine and has been receiving a positive response."
