Korean rice cake

Rice is a common agricultural product of Asian countries. Asians are known as rice eating people. It is a staple food that is a mainstay in almost all meals in the region. It is also a versatile produce being served not only as the traditional boiled rice and porridge, but it is also used in wine making, desserts, snacks as well as specialty food for particular occasions. Rice in any form has been part of the rich culture and tradition of Asians.

In Korea, they have the traditional rice cake which is called “tteok”. Koreans prepare them for various occasions such as birthdays, weddings, special holidays, as well as ancestral offerings. It is also served as a healthy snack.

Different types of rice cakes are prepared for specific occasions, and here are some of them:

Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day)
songpyeon (crescent-shaped rice cake) is the representative food during this holiday. It is rice cake filled with jujube, red bean, chestnut or sweetened sesame seeds steamed over pine needles.

Seollal (Lunar New Year)
tteokguk (white rice cake soup) a favorite food served during this time of year. It is believed that the first day of a year is supposed to be holy and clean like the white color of the rice cake. And tradition has it that you can not grow a year older without eating tteokguk on Lunar New Year’s Day.

Honryae (Wedding ceremony)
bongchae tteok(steamed glutinous rice sprinkled with red beans) made from 7 jujubes, red beans and sticky rice. The ingredients used to make this cake have their own significant meaning: the sticky rice signifies the inseperable love of the couple; 7 jujubes represents a hope for 7 sons; and red beans are for dispelling evil spirits Other rice cakes served are moon rice cake (symbolizes the moon shining over each one’s life) and 2-color rice cake (representing 2 chickens which symbolizes a couple).

Tol (1st year birthday)
There are many types of rice cakes prepared during a child’s first birthday and one of them is paekseolgi (white steamed rice cakes) which symbolizes a pure and divine clean spirit and long life.

Tteok has become a favorite recipe for the korean palate. It plays a special part in every stage of Korean life.