(), or simmered rice cake, is a popular Korean food 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 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, chi ...

are some common ingredients paired with ''tteokbokki'' in dishes. It can be seasoned with either spicy '' gochujang'' (chili paste) or non-spicy ''

ganjang 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 '' Asp ...

'' (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-''tteokbokki'', '' jajang-tteokbokki'', seafood-''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 ''

bunsik ''Bunsik'' () is a generic term used to refer to inexpensive Korean dishes available at ''bunsikjeom'' (분식점) or ''bunsikjip'' (분식집) snack restaurants. Since the term ''bunsik'' literally means "food made from flour," foods such as ' ...

jip'' (snack bars) as well as ''

pojangmacha ''Pojangmacha'' (포장마차) is form of commercial establishment based out of a small tent (sometimes on wheels) or street stall found in South Korea. These establishment sell popular street foods, such as '' hotteok'', ''gimbap'', '' tteokbo ...

'' (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 ''Siuijeonseo'' () is a Korean cookbook compiled in the late 19th century. The author is unknown but is assumed to be a lady of the yangban (nobility during the Joseon dynasty) class in Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province. In 1919, as Sim Hwanjin w ...

'', 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, ''tteok' ...

jjim'' (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 ...

'' (stir-fried rice cakes), and ''tteok-

jeongol ''Jeongol'' (전골) is a Korean-style hot pot made by putting meat, mushroom, seafood, seasoning, etc., in a stew pot, adding broth, and boiling it. It is similar to the category of Korean stews called ''jjigae'', with the main difference bein ...

'' (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,

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 Ro ...

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 soy sauce 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 gochujang-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 ''Jajangmyeon'' () or ''jjajangmyeon'' () is a Korean noodle dish topped with a thick sauce made of '' chunjang'', diced pork, and vegetables. Variants of the dish use seafood, or other meats. History ''Jajangmyeon'' was introduced in the la ...

. Realizing that it tasted good, she developed the idea of seasoning ''tteok'' in the Korean chili sauce, gochujang. 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 ''

'' (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'' ( dumplings) were traditionally added to ''tteok-bokki.'' Ingredients such as seafood, short ribs, instant noodles, 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'' (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 an ...

'' wheat noodles.

Jeukseok-tteok-bokki

Jeongol ''Jeongol'' (전골) is a Korean-style hot pot made by putting meat, mushroom, seafood, seasoning, etc., in a stew pot, adding broth, and boiling it. It is similar to the category of Korean stews called ''jjigae'', with the main difference bein ...

'' (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 is a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of served in a broth; common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including , nori (dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions. Ramen has its roots in Chinese noodle dis ...

'' 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 ''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 An anchovy is a small, common forage fish of the family Engraulidae. Most species are found in marine waters, but several will enter brackish water, and some in South America are restricted to fresh water. More than 140 species are placed in 1 ...

stock is often used to bring out the savory flavor. ''

Gochugaru Korean chili peppers or Korean hot peppers, also known as Korean red, Korean dark green, or Korean long green peppers according to color (ripening stages), are medium-sized chili peppers of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. The chili pepper is long ...

'' (chili powder) is often added for additional heat and color, while '' mullyeot'' (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"), soy sauce, sugar 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 in

Jongno Jongno or Jong-ro ( ko, 종로), literally meaning "Bell Street", is a trunk road and one of the oldest major east–west thoroughfares in Seoul, South Korea. Jongno connects Gwanghwamun Plaza to Dongdaemun. The area surrounding Jongno is a p ...

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...

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 Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

(17th & 18th centuries). The earliest record of ''gungjung tteok-bokki'' is found in an 1800s cookbook called ''

''. 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, 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.

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 Carbonara () is an Italian pasta dish from Rome made with eggs, hard cheese, cured pork and black pepper. The dish arrived at its modern form, with its current name, in the middle of the 20th century. The cheese is usually Pecorino Romano, ...

. 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 ''

jip'' (snack bar) Royal court tteok-bokki.jpg, Royal court ''tteok-bokki'' Ra-bokki.jpg, '' Ra-bokki'' (''tteok-bokki'' with ''

'' 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