Taste of Korea- Tteok

We maybe all know the most famous "tteokpokki" snack that you can easily find in every corner of the street in Seoul with price range from 2000 to 2500 won for one person. It taste sour, sweet and spicy. For Indonesian who used to eat spicy food like me ,it's not spicy enough!! But my western friends eat until very sweaty they say very spicyyyyy!!!! :p

Tteokpokki

If you are willing to learn a little from "tteok", there are many many storiesss behind this "rice cake". It has long and interesting history in Korea. Eating with a new understanding will give you new experience in every single bite ^_^

History of Tteok

Tteok-rice cake

Tteok- "rice cake"- is  inextricably entangled with the lives of everyone in Korea. From birth to death, and even beyond, tteok is present in every rite of passage, every transition, and every celebration. On the 100th day after you are born, your family celebrates with BAEKSOLGITTEOK to wish your purity and honesty in all your days. 

Baeksolgitteok

There are 3 types of tteok in Korean 100day baby's celebration:

1. The really soft and chewy ones stuffed with red beans (the tan, white and brown ones). 2. The shiny green, red and pink ones have a liquid honey centre. 

3. The cake-like multi-colour slices are much drier, not very sweet at all and even though they look mighty pretty, they're definitely my least favourite.

Every new years day, people eat TTEOKGUK, a rice cake soup, to represent the aging process. 

Tteokguk

Every Chuseok, SONGPYEONS-the half moon shaped tteok-are made to bless the new harvest. 

Songpyeons

And each time you move, SISUTTEOK is shared with your neighbors to ward off any evil spirits around. It's hard to think of any other food as culturally symbolic and ubiquitos as "TTEOK"

New Types of Tteok

Today there are 198 types of tteok in Korea.A great number of innovation. New model, new shape, new color create healthier, colorful type of tteok. One of the innovator is Kim Ok Hee, the owner of Yeouido Tteok Bang in Yeouido. For her, a dish prepared with happiness will be thoroughly enjoyed. So, if you craving for "tteok" in Korea, I suggest you to go to Yeouido Tteok Bang. You can find hundred types of tteok there!!

Direction: Daechi Station (line3) exit 5, walk 5 minutes towards Mido Arcade. Yeouido Tteok Bang is located in the basement.