Tteokbokki

Korean Food

TTEOKBOKKI

Tteokbokki is a snack from South Korea. Tteokbokki is also known as Korean street food snacks. It's commonly sold on street corners and at food stands normally use tents or so called "Pojangmacha". Tteokbokki cooked right there, so tteokbokki can be eaten while warm. Tteokbokki has its own history, initially in Korean history the food is from the Joseon Dynasty palace cuisine at 1392 - 1910 called "Gungjung Tteokbokki". Gungjung means "Royal Court" in Korean. As the name suggests, the dish was part of the royal cuisine. This dish is usually served when on celebration days like the Lunar New Year or during ancestral Ceremonies. At that time, this form of huintteok dishes are cooked with soy sauce with beef, bagogari, mung bean sprouts, parsley, shitake mushrooms, carrots, and onions. It was far different from tteokbokki spicy chili known today. In 1953, the spicy one was developed when the year the Korean War ended, by a woman named Ma Bong Nim in the Sindang-dong neighborhood in Seoul. Therefore Sindang-dong district in Seoul is known as a place that sells a lot of tteokbokki. Through the opening of the restaurant, Ma Bong Nim introduced a new version of tteokbokki. The chewy rice cakes in a spicy red chili pepper paste (gochujang) sauce instantly became popular as an affordable comfort snack. Over time, the dish has continued to evolve, and its popularity has steadily grown. The secret of this restaurant’s tteokbokki lies in the fact that red pepper paste is mixed with Chinese soybean paste for a sweet and spicy taste. Adopted by other Sindang-dong restaurants, the recipe is no longer a secret. Nevertheless, there is something special about this restaurant’s fare.

Tteokbokki made of Tteok in Korean language or rice cake that cooked with spices gochujang. Tteok is Korean cake made from cereals, mainly rice or sticky rice. Gochujang seasoning tastes spicy and sweet. Rice cake used to make Tteokbokki rod-shaped or cylindrical. Tteokbokki is easily made, because just needs two main ingredients, and it’s easy to found virtually anywhere in Korea. Tteokbokki is often introduced through Korean Drama. Almost every Korean movies and drama series show scene eating tteokbokki. Tteokbokki most suitable eaten during the winter, because it is spicy and warm. Tteokbokki can be cooked with other ingredients such as ramyeon, pastries, boiled eggs, and even seafood are added to this dish. The original tteokbokki was a stir fried dish consisting of garaetteok combined with a variety of ingredients, such as beef, mung bean sprouts, green onions, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and onions, and seasoned with soy sauce. Tteokbokki has a chewy texture and soft when eaten.

The spicy level of tteokbokki varies widely among different brands of Korean red chili pepper paste (gochujang) and red chili pepper flakes (gochugaru). Adding red chili pepper flakes is the way to increase the heat level without altering the saltiness and sweetness. Tteokbokki be presented with a wide variety ranging from original tteokbokki, cheese tteokbokki and gungjung tteokbokki or use soy sauce seasoning. Although just as a snack, tteokbokki also has nutritional value such as protein and kabohidrat. Fish cakes and eggs are added also be a contributor to the protein content in tteokbokki. Since Tteokbokki has become one of the most popular dishes, one will easily find a place to enjoy eating Tteokbokki in Korea. Tteokbokki also one of the typical South Korea's most famous snacks in the world.