Make a thick rice porridge: in a saucepan whisk together the Glutinous Rice Flour with Water until smooth, then cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes glossy and very thick. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm.
Prepare the malt infusion: dissolve the Barley Malt Powder into the Malt Water until fully incorporated so you have a slightly sweet, malty liquid.
In a large bowl combine the cooled rice porridge with the Meju Powder, mixing until evenly distributed — this provides the fermented soybean backbone of the paste.
Add the malt infusion, then stir in the Korean Red Pepper Powder, Korean Coarse Sea Salt, and Rice Syrup. Mix vigorously until the paste is smooth and homogenous; add a splash of plain water if it’s too stiff to stir comfortably.
Taste and adjust: if it needs more heat add a bit more Korean Red Pepper Powder, for more sweetness add a touch more Rice Syrup, and for seasoning tweak with Korean Coarse Sea Salt to your preference.
Transfer the mixture into a clean, sterilized crock or glass jar, pressing down to remove air pockets and leaving a small headspace at the top. Smooth the surface and cover loosely with a lid or breathable cloth to allow gases to escape.
Ferment in a cool, dark place for at least 2 weeks; for deeper, more complex flavor allow 1–3 months. Stir the paste once a week with a clean utensil, press it back down, and skim any surface film if it appears.
When the flavor has matured to your liking, seal the jar tightly and refrigerate to slow fermentation. The gochujang will keep for many months refrigerated and will continue to deepen in flavor over time.
