WHAT ARE KOREAN tteokbokki RICE CAKEs

Korean Tteokbokki rice cakes are made GARAE-TTEOK. Rice flour (with some salt) and water and mixed, then steamed, then pounded until the dough becomes elastic. It is rolled into cylinders and at this point they’re called GARAETTEOK.

GARAE refers to its similarity in shape to a traditional Korean farming tool.

You can just eat it like this, or pan-fry it a bit until it’s golden on the outside, dipped in honey.

When these are cut into different shapes (round coin-shapes or diagonal discs are most common), they then become Tteok Guk (Soup) Tteok.

Rice cakes made for Tteokbokki would just be smaller-sized versions of GARAETTEOK. This means that any shape of GARAETTEOK will work. No TTEOK police will come and get you if you use thinly sliced (Tteokguk) Tteok for Tteokbokki or vice versa.

These are the rice cakes used in popular dishes like TTEOKBOKKI (Spicy Rice Cakes) and TTEOK GUK (Rice Cake Soup).

WHAT ARE KOREAN RICE CAKES CALLED

Korean rice cakes are called TTEOK. However, this is a very general term as there are many varieties of rice cakes.

Rice cakes for savoury recipes are usually cut from pieces of GARAETTEOK.

Once they’ve been cut, they’re categorized by the dish they will be used for.

Thinly sliced Tteok are called Tteok Guk Tteok. If they’re left longer, they are called Tteokbokki Tteok.

sweet korean tteok

There are countless sweet varieties as well, prepared for special occasions.

There are too many to go into here, so I will make a separate post about it. The rest of this article will be in reference to the simple GARAETTEOK (which is also Tteokbokki Tteok and Tteok Guk Tteok).

HOW DO YOU WRITE TTEOK

떡

There are many variations in the English spelling for the Korean word Tteok. Ttok. Dduk.

This is because Korean words are spelled phonetically in English and people choose what makes sense to them in their language.

However, if you want to use what is most commonly found online, you’d be best served by spelling it: “Tteok”.

HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE TTEOK

The reason there are 2 T’s (or 2 D’s) at the beginning of this word is because Korean has a consonant that is pronounced unlike any other in the English language.

Remove the harsh “T” sound when pronouncing Tteokbokki.

The T is pronounced in a muted way without the tip of the tongue exploding with breath. In that way, it makes sense to think of it as a double D as it’s closer to a hard D sound than a soft T sound.

WHAT ARE tteokbokki RICE CAKES MADE Of

GARAETTEOK is usually made from short-grain rice powder and water. This is simply regular Korean rice (short grain rice) ground into a powder. Koreans use short-grain sticky rice, you may know it as “sushi rice”.

Using sweet (also called glutinous) rice powder 찹쌀가루 will yield a softer batch that is traditionally made into Injeolmi (a dessert type Tteok that is rolled in soybean powder). Although unconventional, it can be done with glutinous rice powder, but is not the preferred option.

It’s entirely possible to make rice powder at home. Simply soak short grain rice overnight. Drain and grind in the blender when wet. Sieve any lumps and grind again. Although possible, it is a hassle. You can simply buy rice flour 멥쌀가루 which may (depending on availability in your area) come in dry or frozen form.

Dry rice flour will need more water, while frozen rice flour has been wet-milled and will require less.

If you can find it, GARAETTEOK can be made with brown rice powder- which some people prefer for the health benefits. This will result in brown rice cakes.

WHAT DO KOREAN RICE CAKES TASTE LIKE

Because it is just a rice powder dough, it is very plain. Think of what short grain rice tastes like. Or simple bread. It is unflavoured and without scent (unlike Basmati or Jasmine) so it can serve as a bland base for all the taste-bombs that make up Korean side dishes, soups and sauces.

GARAETTEOK is the perfect plain base to bulk up and add texture to a recipe.

Of course, some people love the taste of plain rice- which in case, you would enjoy plain Tteok as well. Tteok is mostly about the extremely chewy texture more than the flavour.

ARE KOREAN RICE CAKES HEALTHY

Rice cakes are basically a different form of rice, and as a relatively whole food (simple processing to grind rice into powder) is a healthy source of carbohydrates.

Keep in mind though, it is a high-carb food. Also, it is made from white rice, so is high in sugars.

Tteok is not exactly diet food, sorry.

Packaged rice cakes may also contain preservatives (like citric acid or alcohol) to make it shelf-stable.

ARE KOREAN RICE CAKES GLUTEN-FREE

Traditional Korean rice cakes are made with rice flour and are completely gluten-free.

However, wheat-based Tteok has become very popular. This is made by adding water to flour and over-kneading until the dough becomes elastic. It is boiled in water to create a very deliciously chewy Tteok.

In Korean rice cakes are referred to as SSAL-TTEOK (“Ssal” meaning rice) and MILL-TTEOK (“Mill” meaning wheat).

If you have gluten sensitivities, be sure to check the ingredients list for rice cakes, especially those that are packaged with sauces as they may be flour rice cakes.

ARE KOREAN RICE CAKES VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN

Korean rice cakes are Vegetarian as well as Vegan. Their only ingredients are rice flour, water and salt.

Tteokbokki the dish, on the other hand, depends on the source. Packaged foods and street stalls usually use animal-based (usually fish) broths for added flavour. It is very simple to ensure a Vegan/Vegetarian Tteokbokki if you make yourself though.

ARE KOREAN RICE CAKES HALAL

If you make it yourself, Korean rice cakes are completely Halal.

You should double check if you purchase packaged foods however, as they may contain preservatives like alcohol to prolong shelf-life.

How to buy Tteok

If you purchase freshly-made Tteok, be aware they will not last long (they will sometimes harden in only a few hours) before hardening and losing their elastic chewiness. Keep it wrapped tight in plastic or freeze them if you can’t finish it.

Once frozen, you may need to soak in water for a few hours (or overnight) before cooking.

Packaged Tteok may need soaking as well but I’ve noticed some products don’t anymore. Check the instructions.

You don’t want to cook it too long as this will result in a very mushy Tteok 😫.

A Simple Tteok Snack

- Pan fry Tteok in little oil over medium heat.

- Cook until it’s slightly browned (if you like it crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, wait until it blisters a bit)

- Sprinkle with sugar or dip in honey for a comforting snack.

- Enjoy with a cup of tea.