Costco Food Court Regulars Can't Stop Eating This Secret Condiment Combo

Those who regularly frequent Costco's food court know there are many secret hacks that true fans swear by, from ordering an off-menu chocolate strawberry sundae to getting fresh food in time with one seemingly counterproductive hack. What members call Costco kimchi is one the latest hacks that diners are using to create a unique condiment that is the unofficial star of the food court. So that you don't have to sit around waiting for actual kimchi to hit Costco's menu (add it to the list of items we wish Costco would put on its food court menu), you can create one with the free items found in the food court. 

To enjoy Costco kimchi the next time you order the retailer's famous hot dog combo, you'll need two cups of diced onions, three pumps of ketchup, one pump of mustard, relish, and a packet or two of red chili pepper flakes. Diced onions are important for the crunch in the sauce and may be available in your closest Costco food court but it isn't a guarantee. Some food court diners have also had luck asking the cashier for diced onions which are sometimes kept behind the till. After gathering your ingredients, give everything a good stir to combine them well. The DIY condiment tastes tangy and mildly sweet and spicy while offering the right amount of bite. 

The genesis of Costco kimchi isn't confirmed, but it was first featured on a 2011 blog post by Joe McPherson, who witnessed the trend in Korea, and resurfaced in a TikTok posted by creator @photogami in September. The food court hack sufficed as an alternative to kimchi in Korea but was not embraced by all. Some compare it to geotjeori — a type of kimchi made to be eaten immediately without fermentation.

Costco kimchi has the stamp of approval by many online, with one TikTok commenter sharing that they "prefer it over the actual kimchi." The sweetness of the relish and spiciness of the red pepper add the perfect balance to savory meal items. You can expect a well-textured sauce that can be made chunkier with more diced onions. The sauce also works well for those who aren't into specific condiments like mustard since the layered ingredients balance the flavors well. 

There are several ways to indulge in this food court delicacy, from spooning it over a chicken bake to a calzone. The hack also works well for those who wish to enjoy their Costco hot dog on the go. Not only does Costco kimchi make it easy to enjoy a range of condiments without the added mess, but it also brings innovation to the typical hot dog experience; some even refer to the dish as a Korean street food-style hot dog. If none of that catches your attention, you could always experiment with a two-ingredient hack to create a Costco food court chicken Caesar salad wrap alongside your DIY kimchi.

However, if you're keen to put some actual kimchi on a hot dog or calzone, Costco also offers Korea's No. 1 brand: Jongga Kimchi, which uses sliced napa cabbage. Onions and red pepper also appear on its ingredients list, as well as radish, rice paste, salt, chives, Korean leeks, fermented anchovies, fermented shrimp sauce, kelp base sauce, and ginger. Accordingly, its complex flavor will differ from the food court sauce because of the wider variety of ingredients, including fermented ones. But Costco kimchi is more accessible as a simple, unfermented, and free food court alternative.