(), or simmered rice cake, is a popular

Korean food Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural env ...

made from small-sized (long, white, cylinder-shaped rice cakes) called (; "rice cake noodles") or commonly (; " rice cakes"). *

Eomuk A fishcake (sometimes written as fish cake) is a culinary dish consisting of filleted fish or other seafood minced or ground, mixed with a starchy ingredient, and fried until golden. Asian-style fishcakes usually contain fish with salt, water, ...

(fish cakes), boiled eggs, and scallions are some common ingredients paired with ''tteokbokki'' in dishes. It can be seasoned with either spicy ''

gochujang ''Gochujang'' (, from Korean: , ) or red chili paste * is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from gochu-garu (chili powder), glutinous rice, '' meju'' (fermented soybean) powder, ''yeotgir ...

'' (chili paste) or non-spicy '' ganjang'' (soy sauce)-based sauce; the former is the most common form, while the latter is less common and sometimes called ''gungjung-tteokbokki'' (

royal court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word "court" may also be appl ...

''tteokbokki''). Today, variations also include

curry A curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included. There are many varieties of curry. The choice of spices for each dish in trad ...

-''tteokbokki'',

cream sauce In cooking, a sauce is a liquid, cream, or semi-solid food, served on or used in preparing other foods. Most sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to a dish. ''Sauce'' is a French word t ...

-''tteokbokki'', ''

jajang Jajang (590–658) was a monk born Kim Seonjong, into the royal Kim family, in the kingdom of Silla. He is credited with founding the temple of Tongdosa in 646 CE, near in what is now Busan, South Korea, and played a significant role in th ...

-tteokbokki'',

seafood Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs (e.g. bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters and mussels, and cephalopods such as octopus an ...

-''tteokbokki'', rose-tteokbokki, ''

galbi ''Galbi'' * (), ''galbi-gui'' (), or grilled ribs, is a type of ''gui'' (grilled dish) in Korean cuisine. "''Galbi''" is the Korean word for "rib", and the dish is usually made with beef short ribs. When pork spare ribs or another meat is us ...

-tteokbokki'' and so on. ''Tteokbokki'' is commonly purchased and eaten at '' bunsikjip'' (snack bars) as well as '' pojangmacha'' (street stalls). There are also dedicated restaurants for ''tteokbokki'', where it is referred to as ''jeukseok tteokbokki'' (impromptu ''tteokbokki''). It is also a popular home dish, as the rice cakes (''garae-tteok'') can be purchased in pre-packaged, semi-dehydrated form.

History

The first record on ''tteok-bokki'' appears in '' Siuijeonseo'', a 19th-century cookbook, where the dish was listed using the archaic spelling ''steokbokgi'' (). * According to the book, ''tteok-bokki'' was known by various names including ''

tteok ''Tteok'' ( ko, 떡) is a class of Korean rice cakes made with steamed flour made of various grains, including glutinous or non-glutinous rice. Steamed flour can also be pounded, shaped, or pan-fried to make ''tteok''. In some cases, ''tte ...

jjim ''Jjim'' (찜; ) is a Korean cuisine term referring to dishes made by steaming or boiling meat, chicken, fish, or shellfish which have been marinated in a sauce or soup. The cooking technique originally referred to dishes cooked in a '' siru'' ...

'' (steamed rice cakes), ''tteok-

japchae ''Japchae'' () is a savory and slightly sweet dish of stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables that is popular in Korean cuisine. * ''Japchae'' is typically prepared with '' dangmyeon'' (당면, 唐麵), a type of cellophane noodles made from s ...

'' (stir-fried rice cakes), and ''tteok- jeongol'' (rice cakes hot pot). The royal court version was made from white ''tteok'' (rice cakes),

sirloin In American butchery, the sirloin steak (called the ''rump steak'' in British butchery) is cut from the sirloin, the subprimal posterior to the short loin where the T-bone, porterhouse, and club steaks are cut. The sirloin is actually di ...

, sesame oil,

soy sauce Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or '' As ...

scallion Scallions (also known as spring onions or green onions) are vegetables derived from various species in the genus '' Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions and their close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, c ...

rock tripe Rock tripe is the common name for various lichens of the genus ''Umbilicaria'' that grow on rocks. They are widely distributed, including on bare rock in Antarctica, and throughout northern parts of North America such as New England and the Rocky ...

pine nut Pine nuts, also called piñón (), pinoli (), pignoli or chilgoza (), are the edible seeds of pines (family Pinaceae, genus ''Pinus''). According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, only 29 species provide edible nuts, while 20 are trad ...

s, and toasted and ground sesame seeds, while the savory, soy sauce-based ''tteok-bokki'' was made in the head house of the Papyeong Yun clan, where high-quality

was brewed. In this version, ingredients such as short ribs were common. The name ''tteok-bokki'' also appears in the revised and enlarged edition of '' Joseon Yori Jebeop'', where it is described as a soy sauce-based savory dish. It is believed that the spicy variant of ''tteok-bokki'' made with

-based sauce first appeared in 1953. When Ma Bok-Lim participated in the opening of a Korean-Chinese restaurant, she accidentally dropped ''tteok'', or rice cake, that was handed during the opening into jajangmyeon. Realizing that it tasted good, she developed the idea of seasoning ''tteok'' in the Korean chili sauce,

. After that, she began selling it in Sindang, which now has since become the most common variant of ''tteok-bokki''. Consequently, the district of Sindang is now famously known for ''tteok-boki''. Today, the typical ''tteok-bokki'' purchased and eaten at '' bunsikjip'' (snack bars) and '' pojangmacha'' (street stalls) are red and spicy, while the soy sauce-based, non-spicy version is referred to as ''gungjung-tteok-bokki'' (궁중떡볶이; "royal court tteok-bokki"). Rice ''tteok'' rose in popularity as the South Korean economy developed, and various versions of the dish have proliferated since. As it was once a working-class dish, wheat ''tteok'' was often substituted for rice ''tteok''.

Varieties

Like other popular Korean dishes, ''tteok-bokki'' has seen numerous variations and fusions. Boiled eggs and pan-fried ''mandu'' (

dumpling Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of dough (made from a variety of starch sources), oftentimes wrapped around a filling. The dough can be based on bread, flour, buckwheat or potatoes, and may be filled with meat, ...

s) were traditionally added to ''tteok-bokki.'' Ingredients such as

, short ribs,

instant noodles Instant noodles, or instant ramen, is a type of food consisting of noodles sold in a precooked and dried block with flavoring powder and/or seasoning oil. The dried noodle block was originally created by flash frying cooked noodles, and this is ...

, chewy noodles are also common additions to the dish.

Variations based on added ingredients

''Haemul-tteok-bokki'', (해물떡볶이; "seafood ''tteok-bokki''") features seafood as its secondary ingredient. ''

Galbi ''Galbi'' * (), ''galbi-gui'' (), or grilled ribs, is a type of ''gui'' (grilled dish) in Korean cuisine. "''Galbi''" is the Korean word for "rib", and the dish is usually made with beef short ribs. When pork spare ribs or another meat is us ...

-tteok-bokki'' (갈비떡볶이; "short rib ''tteok-bokki''") features short ribs as its secondary ingredient. ''

Ra-bokki ''Rabokki'' () is a type of ''tteokbokki'' (stir-fried rice cakes), with added ''ramyeon'' noodles. It is a street food commonly sold in ''bunsikjip'' (snack bars). As other ''tteokbokki'' dishes, eomuk (fish cakes) and boiled eggs are a common ...

'' (라볶이; "instant noodle ''tteok-bokki''") and '' jol-bokki'' (쫄볶이; "chewy noodle ''tteok-bokki''") are similar variants which add noodles to ''tteok-bokki''. ''Ra-bokki'' adds ''ramyeon'' (ramen) noodles, and ''jjol-bokki'' adds chewy ''

jjolmyeon (쫄면) is either a type of Korean noodle with a very chewy texture made from wheat flour and starch, or a cold and spicy dish () made with the noodles and vegetables. can add many vegetables such as cabbage and bean sprouts. The spicy and ...

'' wheat noodles.

Jeukseok-tteok-bokki

'' Jeongol'' (hot pot)-type ''tteok-bokki'' is called ''jeukseok-tteok-bokki'' (; "on-the-spot ''tteok-bokki''"), and is boiled on a table-top stove during the meal. A variety of additions, such as vegetables, '' mandu'' (dumplings), and '' ramyeon'' or '' udong'' noodles are available at ''jeukseok-tteok-bokki'' restaurants. As ''jeukseok-tteok-bokki'' is usually a meal rather than a snack, it is often paired with '' bokkeum-bap'' (fried rice).

Variation based on sauce

Gochujang tteok-bokki

Piquant, red gochujang-based ''tteok-bokki'' is one of Korea's most popular snacks. While both soup-style ''gungmul-tteok-bokki'' (; "

soup Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but may be cool or cold), that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling soli ...

''tteok-bokki''") and dry ''gireum-tteok-bokki'' (; "oil tteok-''bokki''") are commonly enjoyed, the former is considered the ''de facto'' standard style. In ''gungmul-tteok-bokki'',

kelp Kelps are large brown algae seaweeds that make up the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera. Despite its appearance, kelp is not a plant - it is a heterokont, a completely unrelated group of organisms. Kelp grows in "underwa ...

- anchovy stock is often used to bring out the savory flavor. '' Gochugaru'' (chili powder) is often added for additional heat and color, while ''

mullyeot ''Yeot'' is a variety of ''hangwa'', or Korean traditional confectionery. It can be made in either liquid or solid form, as a syrup, taffy, or candy. ''Yeot'' is made from steamed rice, glutinous rice, glutinous sorghum, corn, sweet potatoes, ...

'' (rice syrup) helps with sweetness and consistency. ''

'' (fish cakes), boiled eggs, and diagonally sliced

s are common additions to the dish. In ''gireum-tteok-bokki'', the mixture of ''gochugaru'' (고춧가루; "Korean

chili powder Chili powder (also spelled chile, chilli, or, alternatively, powdered chili) is the dried, pulverized fruit of one or more varieties of chili pepper, sometimes with the addition of other spices (in which case it is also sometimes known as chili ...

"), soy sauce,

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or do ...

or syrup, and

sesame oil Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. The oil is one of the earliest-known crop-based oils. Worldwide mass modern production is limited due to the inefficient manual harvesting process required to extract the oil. ...

often replaces ''gochujang'' (chili paste). Soft ''tteok'' sticks are seasoned with the sauce mixture, then stir-fried in cooking oil with a handful of chopped

s and served.

Tongin Market Tongin Market is a traditional market in Tongin-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Established in 1941, the market originally catered for local needs. Today it is home to around 75 stalls and shops such as sit-in restaurants, take-away street food and vendo ...

in Jongno,

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...

is famous for its ''gireum-tteok-bokki''. There are also many variations in ''gochujang tteok-bokki'', such as a version that is seasoned with perilla leaf.

Ganjang tteok-bokki

Sweet and savory, brown soy sauce-based ''tteok-bokki'' is often referred to as ''gungjung-tteok-bokki'' (; "royal court ''tteok-bokki''"). Its history dates back to a royal court dish before the introduction of

chili pepper Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...

to the Korean peninsula in the mid- Joseon era (17th & 18th centuries). The earliest record of ''gungjung tteok-bokki'' is found in an 1800s cookbook called '' Siuijeonseo''. Having a taste similar to ''

'' (stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables), it was enjoyed by the royals as a ''

banchan ''Banchan'' (, from Korean: ) or bansang are small side dishes served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. As the Korean language does not distinguish between singular and plural grammatically, the word is used for both one such dish o ...

'' and as a snack. Although traditional ''tteok-bokki'' was made with

soup soy sauce ''Guk-ganjang'' ( ko, 국간장) or soup soy sauce is a type of Korean soy sauce (''ganjang'') made entirely of fermented soybeans ('' meju'') and brine. It is also a byproduct of ''doenjang'' production. Both lighter in colour and saltier than ...

, which is the traditional (and at the time, the only) type of soy sauce in pre-modern Korea, sweeter regular soy sauce has taken its place in modern times. Other traditional ingredients such as

or short ribs, sesame oil, scallions,

s, and toasted and ground sesame seeds are still commonly used in modern ''gungjung-tteok-bokki''. Other ingredients such as

mung bean sprouts Mung bean sprouts are a culinary vegetable grown by sprouting mung beans. They can be grown by placing and watering the sprouted beans in the shade until the hypocotyls grow long. Mung bean sprouts are extensively cultivated and consumed in Eas ...

, carrots, onions, dried

Korean zucchini Aehobak ( ko, 애호박), also called Korean zucchini or Korean courgette, is an edible, green to yellow-green summer squash. Although nearly all summer squashes are varieties of ''Cucurbita pepo'', aehobak belongs to the species ''Cucurbita mo ...

, garlic, and

shiitake The shiitake (alternate form shitake) (; ''Lentinula edodes'') is an edible mushroom native to East Asia, which is now cultivated and consumed around the globe. It is considered a Medicinal fungi, medicinal mushroom in some forms of tradition ...

mushrooms are also common. The dish is typically served with

egg garnish Egg garnish, called ''al-gomyeong'' () in Korean, is a common topping in Korean cuisine, made with egg whites and egg yolks. Egg yolks and egg whites are separated, beaten without creating foam, pan-fried with little oil into thin sheets witho ...

Other variations

''Gungmul'' (soup) ''tteok-bokki'' that are not based on either soy sauce or gochujang have also gained in popularity. There are some well-known variations. Curry ''tteok-bokki'' uses a yellow Korean-style curry base. Cream sauce ''tteok-bokki'' uses a base inspired by carbonara. Cream sauce and bacon are used instead of ''gochujang'' and fish cakes. ''Rose tteok-bokki'' named after rose pasta, as a variation. For this ''tteok-bokki'', cream sauce is added to the basic ''tteok-bokki''. ''Jajang''''-tteok-bokki'' features a sauce based on ''jajang'' (sweet bean paste). Cheese ''tteok-bokki'' is a variant in which the ''tteok-bokki'' is either topped or stuffed with cheese. It is sold in snack bars and can also easily be made at home. Depending on personal preference, it can be eaten with seasonings such as green tea powder, herb powder, sesame, or parsley. Shanghainese 炒年糕, ''chǎo nián gāo'' is a stir-fried dish made with rice cake sliced into flat oval shapes, scallions, beef, pork, and cabbage.

Gireum and gyeran tteok-bokki

''Gireum tteok-bokki'' (; "oil ''tteok-bokki''") is a variety of ''tteok-bokki'' that is stir-fried in oil and served with little or no sauce. ''Gyeran tteok-bokki'' (계란떡볶이; "egg tteok-bokki") is another variation that features no sauce. Only ''tteok'' (rice cakes), eggs, vegetables, and seasonings (primarily salt) are used. It differs from ''gireum tteok-bokki'' in that it is not spicy.

Gallery

Korean.snacks-Tteokbokki-03.jpg, ''Tteok-bokki'' at a '' bunsikjip'' (snack bar) Royal court tteok-bokki.jpg, Royal court ''tteok-bokki'' Ra-bokki.jpg, ''

'' (''tteok-bokki'' with '' ramyeon'' noodles) Noodle spicy ricecake.jpg, ''Jjol-bokki'' (''tteok-bokki'' with ''

'' noodles)

References

External links

Official website of ''Dongdaemoon Yeopgi Tteokbokki''Official website of ''Sinjeon Tteokbokki''Official website of ''BaeDDuck''
{{DISPLAYTITLE: ''Tteokbokki'' Bunsik Fried foods Korean cuisine Street food in South Korea Tteok