Ojingeo-chae-bokkeum is shredded dried squid tossed in a sweet-spicy gochujang glaze — one of the most beloved keeping banchan and lunchbox fillers in Korea. The dried squid threads, called ojingeo-chae or jinmichae, are briefly softened, then coated in a sauce of gochujang, sugar and corn syrup cooked just to a sticky sheen, so the strands stay chewy and supple rather than turning hard. Many cooks fold in a spoon of mayonnaise at the end to keep it soft and mellow the heat. Sweet, savory, chewy and bright red, it keeps for days in the fridge and is a fixture of the standing side-dish lineup.
Ojingeo-chae-bokkeum is a product of Korea's deep tradition of dried seafood (geoneo-mul) rather than any single creation. Squid has long been dried whole or shredded for storage, and seasoning that dried shred into a banchan is an everyday home practice; this spicy gochujang version became especially popular as a packable, long-keeping lunchbox side. The shredded squid is widely sold under the name jinmichae, which originated as a manufacturer's product name — the characters mean 'delicacy shred' — and became so common that it now serves as the generic word, even entering the standard Korean dictionary in 2024. There is no single inventor; it is standard home and deli fare.
The strands have a satisfying, springy chew with a faint resilience that asks you to keep working them — never tough, never rubbery when made right. The flavor leads with gochujang's fermented sweet-savory heat, backed by sugar-and-syrup stickiness and the deep marine umami of the dried squid itself. Sesame oil and toasted seeds round it out with a nutty perfume, and a touch of mayonnaise, if used, smooths the chili into something creamier and gentler. It is sweet up front, warmly spicy on the finish, and intensely savory throughout.
Dried squid is mostly protein with very little water, so the key is rehydration: the strands need to take up moisture before and during cooking, or the muscle fibers stay tight and turn hard. Soaking the squid briefly, or coating it with sauce while warm, lets liquid penetrate the fibers and relax them. Critically, the syrup and sugar are heated only to a sticky glaze and not boiled hard — overcooked sugar syrup sets glassy and brittle on cooling, which is exactly what makes badly made versions tough; tossing the squid off the heat in the warm sauce keeps it pliable. The dissolved sugars also slow the squid proteins from re-tightening, holding the soft, semi-dried texture. Mayonnaise adds oil and lecithin that coat the strands, keeping them moist and supple even after the dish cools and is refrigerated.
Variations
The two great camps are the spicy gochujang version here and a milder soy-and-syrup version (ganjang ojingeo-chae-bokkeum) that skips the chili paste. Mayonnaise is a popular addition for a creamier, child-friendly result, sometimes with a squeeze of ketchup folded into the glaze. Cooks adjust heat with extra gochugaru or fresh chili, and may add garlic, scallion or sliced almonds. The exact same method is used on dried shredded pollock and other dried seafood; some lightly toast or microwave the squid first to make it puff and soften before saucing.
On the Palate
Where Ojingeo-chae-bokkeum sits in the Korean flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
6 steps · 10 min
- 14 min
If the squid strands are very long or stiff, cut them shorter and pull them apart; soak briefly in water and squeeze out, or sprinkle lightly to soften.
Watch outSoften the dried squid first by soaking or misting; if the strands go in tight and dry the muscle fibers stay hard and chewy no matter the sauce.
- 22 min
Make the sauce: combine gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic and a little water.
- 33 min
Warm a little oil in a pan over low heat and cook the sauce briefly until it loosens and turns glossy, without letting it boil hard.
Watch outWarm the sauce only to a glossy sticky glaze, never a hard boil; over-boiled sugar syrup sets glassy and brittle on cooling, which is exactly what makes the squid tough.
- 42 min
Turn off or lower the heat, add the squid strands and toss until every strand is evenly coated.
- 52 min
Stir in corn syrup and sesame oil off the heat, and fold in a spoon of mayonnaise if using.
- 61 min
Scatter with toasted sesame seeds and let cool; it firms slightly and keeps well refrigerated.
