Korean Tuna Sauce | Halla Premium · Chamchiaek | 16.9 fl oz

Korean tuna sauce (chamchiaek, 참치액) is a 500 ml (16.9 fl oz) bottle of liquid seasoning made from smoked tuna extract with kelp and radish, used a spoonful at a time in Korean soups, stews and seasoned vegetables.

What is Korean tuna sauce?

Chamchiaek is the bottle many Korean home cooks reach for when a broth tastes flat. Instead of simmering dried fish and kelp for an hour, a teaspoon of tuna sauce brings the same smoky, savory base to the pot. This one is made by Halla Food and sold in Korea as 프리미엄 참치액 (Premium Tuna Sauce).

The front label states the core of the recipe: smoked tuna extract at 69.3%, made with smoked tuna at 18.5%. Kelp, radish and shiitake extracts round it out, so it tastes of the sea and of a long-simmered stock rather than of salt alone.

Made in Korea by Halla Food

Halla Food makes this sauce at its plant in Sangju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea — Product of Korea. The smoked tuna is imported: the Korean label lists it as tuna from the Philippines, while the salt, kelp and radish are listed as Korean.

Key facts

Product name on label

Premium Tuna Sauce (프리미엄 참치액), Halla Food

Origin

Product of Korea — smoked tuna from the Philippines

Net volume

500 ml (US label prints Net Wt. 16.5 fl oz)

Food type

Liquid sauce, heat-sterilized, in a PET bottle

Ingredients (US label)

Smoked tuna extract liquid, salt, kelp extract liquid, sugar, radish extract liquid, ginger soy sauce (ginger, soybean, wheat, salt, fructose, water), 5'-ribonucleotide sodium, licorice extract liquid, shiitake extract liquid, garlic concentrate

Label note

The Korean-language label on the same bottle also lists ginseng extract and honey and does not list ginger soy sauce. If you avoid any of these, check the bottle you receive.

Allergens

Contains: Fish (tuna), Soy, Wheat. The Korean label notes it is made in a facility that also processes soybean, wheat and shellfish (oyster).

Per 10 ml serving

6 calories, 0 g fat, sodium 51% DV, 1.1 g carbohydrate, 0.9 g total sugars (0.8 g added), 0.3 g protein — about 50 servings per bottle

Storage

Cool, dry place away from sunlight; refrigerate after opening

How to use Korean tuna sauce

How much tuna sauce do you add to soup?

Start with 1 teaspoon (5 ml) per bowl, or 1 tablespoon (15 ml) for a 2 L pot of doenjang stew, kimchi stew or radish soup, then taste. It is salty, so add it before any salt or soy sauce and adjust from there.

What else can you season with it?

Toss blanched spinach or bean sprouts with 1 teaspoon of tuna sauce, a little sesame oil and garlic for quick namul. Beat 1 teaspoon into 3 eggs for gyeran-mari (rolled omelet), or add a splash to stir-fried fish cake, japchae or a noodle broth.

Before you use it

Contains fish (tuna), soy and wheat. If you are allergic to shellfish, note the shared-facility statement above. One 10 ml serving carries 51% of the daily value for sodium, so measure rather than pour.

Frequently asked questions

What is Korean tuna sauce (chamchiaek)?

Korean tuna sauce, or chamchiaek (참치액), is a liquid seasoning built on smoked tuna extract. This Halla Food bottle holds 500 ml and lists smoked tuna extract at 69.3% on its label, with kelp and radish extracts. Korean cooks use a spoonful at a time in soups, stews and seasoned vegetables.

How do you use and store tuna sauce?

Start with 1 teaspoon (5 ml) per bowl of soup or 1 tablespoon (15 ml) per 2 L pot of stew, then taste before adding salt. Store the bottle in a cool, dry place away from sunlight and refrigerate after opening. Salt crystals or sediment can form over time and come from the ingredients.

Tuna sauce vs fish sauce — what's the difference?

Fish sauce is usually made by fermenting small fish such as anchovies with salt for months, which gives it a sharp, pungent aroma. Korean tuna sauce is an extract of smoked tuna blended with kelp and radish extracts, so it tastes smoky and savory rather than funky, and it reads milder in clear soups.

Can tuna sauce replace soy sauce?

Partly. Tuna sauce is salty and savory, so it can stand in for some of the soy sauce or salt in soups, namul and egg dishes. Soy sauce is brewed from soybeans and wheat and adds color and a fermented depth; tuna sauce adds smoky fish savoriness with lighter color. Many Korean cooks use the two together.

Where does this ship from?

Orders ship from the Kosbee warehouse in New Jersey, usually within one business day, with tracking emailed at dispatch. Shipping is free on orders of $60 or more and $9.99 below that. The sauce itself is made in Korea by Halla Food — Product of Korea — and kept in stock here.

Shipping, returns and storage

Ships from New Jersey, usually within one business day. Unopened food items can be returned in their original condition — contact us and we will sort it out.

More Korean seasonings: browse Spice & Seasoning. For broth without the simmer, see our Korean Seafood Stock Coins and Korean Vegetable Stock Coins.