How Spicy Is Korean Food? A Heat Guide for Visitors

By Dragon Kim · Updated October 27, 2026 · 7 min read

What makes Korean food spicy?

The heat comes mostly from gochugaru (red chili powder) and gochujang (fermented chili paste), used in kimchi, stews, marinades and sauces. According to Taste Korean Food, Portuguese traders brought chili peppers to Korea in the 16th century, and Korean chilies are described as balancing heat with sweetness. The VisitKorea page says gochujang is a base for bibimbap, tteokbokki and spicy seafood salads, and that its sweetness depends on the starch used, such as glutinous rice or barley.

• Gochujang is one of the jang sauces. Korea.net describes it as a spicy red pepper paste and notes that UNESCO recognized Korea’s jang-making culture as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on December 4, 2024.
• Not every sauce is hot. Soy sauce (ganjang) flavors bulgogi, and the same Korea.net article describes ssamjang as a thick, spicy soybean-paste sauce served with samgyeopsal.
• Heat can be added later. Mummy Travels notes that gochujang and gochugaru are often served on the side, so you can add them yourself.

Practical example: a visitor ordering bibimbap can ask for the gochujang on the side, taste the rice bowl first, and stir in the paste a little at a time. For general ordering etiquette, see how to order at a Korean restaurant.

Which dishes are spicy and which are mild?

Stews, tteokbokki, stir-fried octopus and buldak dishes tend to be hot, while bulgogi, galbi, japchae, mandu, samgyetang and jajangmyeon are generally mild. The table below combines three food guides; heat varies by restaurant, so treat it as a starting point.

Look for the syllable eolkeun (얼큰) in a name, which 10 Magazine says marks a spicy version of a normal dish. The same guide gives milder substitutes, such as jjajang tteokbokki instead of regular tteokbokki. Mummy Travels also lists ganjang (soy sauce) tteokbokki and the white, non-spicy version of seafood soft tofu stew. Heat is not only a menu matter: Sous Chef (April 2024) puts original Buldak instant noodles at about 4,404 Scoville units, a figure we could not confirm with the manufacturer.

For ideas beyond the mild list, see our 20 Korean dishes to try on your first trip and the Korean street food guide.

How do I ask for less spicy food in Korean?

Say “deol maepge haejuseyo” (덜 맵게 해주세요) for less spicy, or “an maepge haejuseyo” (안 맵게 해주세요) for not spicy. 10 Magazine, KoreanClass101 and Stars and Stripes Korea all give these phrases.

Menus may also use spice words: 10 Magazine lists 순한맛 (mild), 보통맛 (normal), 매운맛 (spicy) and 아주 매운맛 (very spicy), and says some menus use pepper icons instead. Stars and Stripes Korea adds that 매운 (maeun), 고추 (gochu, chili) and 양념 (yangnyeom, seasoned, often a spicy sauce) are words that signal heat. Papago or Google Translate can scan a menu photo if you cannot read the text; see our essential apps guide.

What if my food is too spicy?

Reach for plain rice, a mild side dish, milk or a yogurt drink rather than water. 10 Magazine suggests rice balls or a yogurt drink in a restaurant and milk at home or from a convenience store, and TheSmartLocal notes that steamed egg (gyeran-jjim) often appears on the menu at spicy-food restaurants to offset heat.

• Red banchan: Mummy Travels says you can spot spicy side dishes by their red color and skip them; steamed egg and fish cake are milder choices.
• Kimchi: Ask for baek kimchi (white kimchi, made without chili) or simply move the red kimchi aside.
• Children: Ask for 순한맛 (sunhan-mat, mild), as in the 10 Magazine phrase “aiga isseunikka sunhan-matsseuro juseyo.” Not every restaurant has a children’s menu.

If you avoid meat as well as spice, our vegetarian and vegan guide covers hidden fish stock.

How do I order a mild meal step by step?

Choose a naturally mild dish, check the heat level, ask for adjustments, and keep a plain side ready.

1. Start mild. Pick bulgogi, galbi, japchae, mandu, samgyetang or jajangmyeon from the table above.
2. Check the menu words. Look for 매운 (maeun), 얼큰 (eolkeun) or red pepper icons, and avoid those on the first try.
3. Ask. Say “igeo maewoyo?” to check, then “deol maepge haejuseyo” if you want it milder.
4. Ask for sauces on the side. Gochujang and ssamjang can be added a little at a time.
5. Add a cooling side. Order rice, steamed egg or a drink such as milk or a yogurt drink to balance the meal.

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