Tteokbokki is a popular and often spicy Korean street food, especially in the winter. It is a big bowl of chewy cylindrical rice cakes that are simmered in a sweet and spicy gochujang sauce. It’s a carb carnival! And it holds sentiment to many, if not all, of the Korean people as it is one of the dishes that represents not only their current culture but also their history as a nation through years of war. It is believed that the dish originated in 1953 when a woman named Ma Bok-Lim was making jajangmyeon in a Chinese restaurant and accidentally dropped a tteok (Korean rice cake) into the sauce. She tried it and realized that the spicy variant was delicious!떡볶이창업추천
It has been a popular dish ever since. Today it can be found on the streets of Korea in pojangmacha (street stalls on wheels) and restaurants across the country, where families gather to share a bowl of tteokbokki and enjoy friendly conversations. Tteokbokki is the perfect food to munch on after a few glasses of soju (Korean spirit) with friends as it is not only fiery, savory and sweet but also comforting in its own special way.
The recipe for tteokbokki can be quite varied and it’s up to the cook to make it their own. They can add their own personal touch by adjusting the sauce or changing up the ingredients used. For example, they can use different types of cheeses to enhance the flavors or try out jjajang (sweet black bean paste) to create a more sweet and savory version. They can even make a carbonara tteokbokki for a more Western-inspired version that is creamy and cheesy!
Tteokbokki can also be made vegetarian or vegan by removing the fish cakes, anchovy stock and eggs. The addition of vegetables like cabbage and carrots can provide a crunchy texture and flavor to the dish as well. And if the cook is feeling adventurous, they can experiment with adding in ramen noodles as well!
To achieve a rich and beautiful red color, the tteokbokki is cooked with 2 types of gochugaru – fine and coarse. The fine powder will dissolve better and create a gorgeous rich red color that makes the tteokbokki look really pretty. The coarse gochugaru will not dissolve but it adds some flavor, a bit of color and specks of powder which are typically seen on tteokbokki.
The tteokbokki is finished with chopped green onions, sesame oil and sriracha for extra flavor and spice. Lastly, it is served with odeng soup on the side which complements and balances the sweetness of the tteokbokki.
I recently went to a Tteokbokki restaurant called “Tteokbokki-Ddeogbbogi” in Flushing, NY and it was a fun experience. Their owners are a nice couple who treat their customers with great hospitality. Their tteokbokki is delicious and the restaurant has a great atmosphere. I highly recommend checking them out if you are in the area!청년창업