When cooking, preparing ingredients that are commonly used in Korea can often be surprisingly cumbersome.

One of those ingredients is chopped garlic. In Korea, many households buy chopped garlic in large containers and keep it in the refrigerator.

However, in the U.S., not only is it a hassle to buy and peel garlic, but the price of chopped garlic has also become quite expensive.

These days, the price of chopped garlic is unexpectedly high, and it sometimes feels a bit wasteful to use it as freely as one would in Korea.

Additionally, since it is a refrigerated product, its flavor can change if stored for too long.

So, a method I frequently use now is to utilize garlic powder.

At first, I wondered, "Will garlic powder really give me the garlic flavor I want?" But once I tried it, I found it to be surprisingly good.

Especially in stir-fried dishes or soups, there often isn't a significant difference.

The way I use it is very simple. You can easily find garlic powder in large containers at stores like Walmart.

The price is also quite reasonable. The product I bought was about $10, and it contains a substantial amount.

Once you buy it, you can use it for nearly a year. In fact, when you do the math, it saves you more than double the cost compared to buying fresh garlic.

The basic idea is to mix garlic powder with actual chopped garlic. Peel a few cloves of garlic and chop them. Then, mix in some garlic powder. The usual ratio is about 1 part garlic to 2 parts garlic powder, and just add a little water to mix it well. This way, you increase the quantity and make storage easier.

By preparing it this way, storage becomes much simpler. Freshly chopped garlic can change color or develop a strong odor if kept in the refrigerator for too long. However, when mixed with garlic powder, the moisture decreases, allowing for relatively stable storage. If you keep it in an airtight container in the fridge, it can last quite a while.

Plus, you don't have to peel and chop garlic every time you cook. You can just scoop out a spoonful and add it directly. It's convenient for stir-frying, soups, stews, and making sauces. Especially on busy weekdays, these little conveniences can feel quite significant.

Another method is to take gochujang (Korean chili paste) and put it in a small container, then mix in an appropriate amount of garlic powder. Usually, adding about 1-2 tablespoons of garlic powder to a cup of gochujang will give it a natural garlic aroma. By mixing it this way, you can use just the gochujang when cooking, and the garlic flavor will be included. While it doesn't have the strong aroma of fresh garlic, it provides a subtle garlic flavor. Keeping it in a small container in the fridge makes it a convenient seasoning that can be used all at once when cooking.

I sometimes get asked if garlic powder can be used when making kimchi. To conclude, the basic method for kimchi is to use fresh chopped garlic. Fresh garlic contains moisture and aroma, which contribute to the unique deep flavor of kimchi during the fermentation process.

However, there is a method to mix in some garlic powder as well. For example, you can use about half the amount of fresh garlic and supplement the rest with garlic powder. Usually, mixing 1 part fresh garlic with 1 part garlic powder results in a flavor that isn't too awkward.

As mentioned earlier, a large container of garlic powder costs about $10. However, it contains more than you might expect, allowing you to use it for nearly a year. Of course, this depends on how often you cook at home, but it's quite an economical method for basic seasoning.

Of course, it can't completely replace the aroma of fresh garlic. When making dishes that require a strong Korean garlic flavor, it's best to use fresh garlic. For example, in dishes like kimchi fried rice or recipes where garlic is the main ingredient, fresh garlic is much better. However, for most everyday cooking, this method works surprisingly well.

As you cook, these little tips gradually accumulate. Ingredients that initially seemed inconvenient can become much easier to use with just a little change in method. As you continue to cook in the U.S., it seems that these kinds of "local methods" naturally develop one by one.

So nowadays, I always have a small container in my refrigerator. It's a basic seasoning made by mixing fresh chopped garlic and garlic powder in a 1:2 ratio. I can just scoop out a spoonful whenever I need it. It may seem like a simple method, but it has become quite a useful little tip for cooking in the U.S.