They're most commonly found in the form of red pepper flakes, powder, paste or sauce. Dried chilis are crushed coarsely to make the flakes, or ground finely into a powder. Red pepper paste is made from red pepper powder, soy bean paste and glutinous rice flour. To make red pepper sauce, the paste is cooked with oil, garlic, water and sesame seeds and used for cooking or dipping. A staple, Korean rice is a medium-grain white rice that becomes slightly sticky when cooked.
Japanese rice is very similar and makes a fine substitute.
Another important flavoring, rice vinegar is sold in Asian markets, usually under a Japanese name. Buy high- quality Korean or Japanese for the best results. Sesame seeds are used whole as a garnish, or are toasted and ground and used as a seasoning. This seasoning comes in many different levels of saltiness, so make sure to taste it before adding to any dish. It's used in soups, stews, sauces and dips.