Tteokbokki

 Tteokbokki

Introduction

Mainly due to their distinctive tastes and eye-popping colors, Korean food has been the talk of the town today in the international community. Korean cuisine is so diverse that it is hard to pick one gem among many; however, we have Tteokbokki – a widely appreciated street dish. This is simply a steamed rice cake, smothered in a savoury, mildly sweet, spicy sauce, which has billions of people’s adoration from inside and outside Korea. Whether people chose it as a fast food, home cook staples, or ordered for friends Tteokbokki means much more than simply a meal; it is a part of Korea.

In reading this article the reader will learn the history of Tteokbokki, how the latter is prepared, the customized Tteokbokki dishes and the place that Tteokbokki occupies in Korean culture.

For understanding the history of Tteokbokki the following section describes the origin and history of dishes similar to Tteokbokki.

Tteokbokki: Before going further in answering this competition what Tteokbokki is, primary one should look into the origin of Tteokbokki. Modern dish of Tteokbokki has been produced in the last few decades, but it has roots in the classic Korean cuisine. The word Tteokbokki comes from two Korean words: tteok (떡) literally means rice cake and bokkeum (볶음) can be translated as sautéed or stir fried. Tteok orrice cake has been a long time traditional food of Korea a must food for important occasions of ceremonial activities and eaten by korean people during vacations, birthday, etc.

They say it has existed since the Joseon Dynasty and was known as the Gungjung Tteokbokki, a specialty of the kings. According to the two types of Tteokbokki, Gungjung Tteokbokki or even called the royal court Tteokbokki or palace style Tteokbokki was slightly more elaborate. It was consists of chewy rice cakes stir fry vegetables beef and a sauce was prepared from soy slightly sweet in taste but they were salty again. This version was rather different from the street Tteokbokki we have in today, a spicy red dish, that looked more like a version of spaghetti.

The post-war social changes and effects of war on the population left the culinary traditions of Korea altered in many aspects. The transition of Tteokbokki from a street vending product to a proper menu item began in the early 1950s, after the Korean War ended. With little or no money, women selling food on the streets had to think of ways out of this – what comes to my mind is the Inferno-saucing revolution; always bringing better and cheaper ingredients. The technique of cooking dull company 'Pasta Gungjung Tteokbokki $12' drenched in soy sauce was replaced by fiery gochujang hot pepper sauce which was widely gaining popularity. As a result of this innovation, the deliciously spicy Tteokbokki that swept the streets of Seoul and other regions became born.

What Tteokbokki is made of

To make Tteokbokki is, in fact, quite easy. The dish has many great characters although the starting ingredients appear very common – rich in taste and texture, appetizingly sweet spicy salty and chewy, every constituent of the dish plays its part. The key ingredients include:

1. Tteok (Rice Cakes): The variety of rice cakes that are used in the recipe of Tteokbokki called “garaetteok” (가래떡), long cylindrical shapes of sticky rice. They are chewy, and the sauce permeates them very well, thus making the most ideal rice cake for this dish. The appealing aspect of Tteokbokki rice cakes lies in the different texture levels-Tteokbokki- soft for inside and chewy for the exterior. 

2. Gochujang: The driving force behind the Tteokbokki is the sauce and the majority of it consists of gochujang, which is a thick, red paste having a sweet, spicy and fermented taste. Chili and rice that has noodles built into it, Gochujang is the essential for Korean food that also adds spicy and umami to numerous dishes.

one of the most traditional and widely loved Tteokbokki. where melted and combined with Tteok-bokki, enhances the overall culinary experience to a whole new level. 

2. Creamy Tteokbokki – As with the first variation, the recipe is not only unusual but also delicious as well. This is because Creamy Tteokbokki uses a lot of noodles and other delicious ingredients that create cream around mixed Tteok-bokki.

3. Tteok-Bokki: Spicy and Creamy – South Asian spices are a great addition to Tteok-Bokki, which is an otherwise bland dish. This can be attributed to the fiery red chili powder used in preparing the dish which gives it the name bland food.

4. Tteokbokki in Red / Brown Sauce – An entire meal fit for any festive ordinarily involves praises to great ancestors, heroes and cultural icons of the people.

5. Jeju Guojuk: Jjigae Tteok-bokki – Despite being deep-fried with a soy-ginger glaze on top, this variant is still savory as you enjoy it with warm soup infused with Korean spices.

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Various Elements of Tteokbokki 

While an original, the classic version of Tteokbokki is easy, it is mostly dressed with many adjuncts and twists therefore the scope of its preparation is infinite. Some well-known adaptations include:

1. Cheese Tteokbokki – Cheese has become an inseparable part of South Korean cuisine, making its way from traditional cuisine