Step 1

Use your hands to roughly break the pitted dates to smaller pieces. Blend with 3 tbsp water in a small (4-cup) food processor until the dates are finely chopped to small bites.

Step 2

Add the rest of ingredients. Pulse and toss a few times until smooth (no fruit chunks). You might need to scrape the bowl a few times with a food scraper until the paste is creamy smooth.

Step 3

Taste and see if you’d like to add more salt, coconut aminos, gochugaru, or vinegar. The flavor profile should be sweet, savory, and slightly spicy. Store in glass jar container in the fridge until ready to use. Best finish in 3 weeks for best flavor.