What is tteokbokki?
Tteokbokki (떡볶이), literally “stir-fried rice cake,” is a popular Korean rice cake dish with several varieties and a long history. It can also be spelled ddukbokki, ddeokbokki, dukbokki, or topokki. This spicy rice cake dish is immensely popular as a street food and is also often consumed at home.
Unlike gungjung tteokbokki, which has been around for centuries, red spicy tteokbokki is relatively new. Ma Bok-rim, a woman from Seoul’s Sindang-dong neighborhood, founded it in 1953, a year after the Korean War ended. The chewy rice cake with spicy gochujang sauce quickly became famous as an inexpensive comfort food.
By the time I was a child, this spicy rice cake dish had become a popular street meal. I grew up with classic tteokbokki, with no modern additions. I have wonderful memories of eating it from street carts or market booths as an after-school snack.
Ingredients of Teokbokki
Rice cakes
Tteokbokki is made with garaetteok (가래떡), a cylinder-shaped white rice cake made from short-grain rice. The thick version is sliced into thin oval forms for tteokguk (rice cake soup), and thinner, shorter rice cakes are used for tteokbokki, hence the name tteokbokki tteok (떡볶이떡).
Other additions
I grew up eating the classic and simple version, which comprised
Eomuk (fish cake) is usually thin sheets of fish cake.
Green cabbage, scallions, and garlic.
These are the items I used in my tteokbokki recipe, and they significantly improved the flavor of the dish.
Tteokbokki evolved over time. People now add ramyun noodles, dumplings, boiled eggs, hot dogs, seafood, and cheese.
Tteokbokki Sauce can be made with ordinary water or anchovy broth for added taste. The main flavoring elements are:
Gochujang (a Korean red chili pepper paste)
Soy sauce and sugar.
Gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes) can be added for more heat. It increases the heat without changing the saltiness or sweetness. To add sweetness, simply use sugar or other sugar substitutes. Koreans typically use syrups (such as oligo syrup) to add shine to their food.
In this tteokbokki recipe, I’ve added another combination of gochujang and gochugaru that you can try if you want a clean-tasting, spicy sauce.
How To Make Tteokbokki
Soak the rice cakes for at least 20 minutes, unless you are using freshly produced soft rice cakes.
Cut the fish cake, cabbage, and scallions into about 2-inch pieces.
In a large pan, combine the sauce components with the anchovy broth (or water). Bring the mixture to a boil before incorporating the rice cakes.
Cook until the rice cakes are tender and the sauce thickens, about 8 – 10 minutes (or more), stirring occasionally.
Combine the vegetables with the fishcakes. Continue to boil, stirring often, for another 4 to 6 minutes. Depending on the rice cakes, you may need more time to get the desired level of softness.
FAQs
How should I store leftover tteokbokki?
Tteokbokki leftovers can be refrigerated for up to two days in an airtight container. Reheat with a little water to maintain the sauce’s consistency.
Can you freeze tteokbokki?
You can freeze the rice cakes separately, however, Tteokbokki with sauce does not freeze well because the rice cakes’ texture hardens when warmed.
Can I mix other ingredients into Tteokbokki?
Yes, popular flavor and texture enhancers include ramen noodles, cheese, shrimp, and vegetables like carrots and cabbage.
What else can I serve except tteokbokki?
To balance the heat, serve tteokbokki with kimchi, pickled radish, or a cool cucumber salad.
Is there any way to make the tteokbokki less spicy?
You may certainly use less gochujang or use a sauce with less heat. You can also reduce the temperature by adding extra sugar or water.
Do you know how much gluten is in tteokbokki?
Naturally, gluten-free rice cakes are available here, although some condiments, such as Korean gochujang, may contain wheat.