Tteokbokki: Korea's Addictive Street Food Snack

Tteokbokki is one of Korea's most popular street food. You can find tteokbokki stalls and restaurants all over the country. It's a must-try when you visit Korea. For Koreans, it brings back memories of their childhood. Today, it's a beloved comfort food for Korean women to relieve stress.

I'll explain the name "Tteokbokki," the different kinds of tteokbokki based on the type of rice cake and sauce, and how to enjoy it at famous places like Yupdduk and Dookki.

Tteokbokki: From Zero to Hero

When I was an elementary student, there was a small tteokbokki stall near our school. It had a sweet yet slightly spicy flavor. After class, all the kids would line up to buy some. Actually, there were tteokbokki stalls in front of many schools across Korea. The streets would be busy with students eager to enjoy tteokbokki on their way home.

The tteokbokki was served warm in little paper cups. Each cup was only 50 cents, enough for a filling snack for the walk home from school.

We never could have imagined tteokbokki becoming so gourmet and pricey!! Who would have thought this street food would evolve into such a specialized, franchise-backed industry? 😲😲

This is a funny internet meme about tteokbokki. The meme is called "Tteokbokki's Rise".

🔥 These days, tteokbokki has truly become soul food for many Korean women. Especially when experiencing Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) or stress, the spicy and sweet flavors combined with the satisfying carbs from tteokbokki are the go-to comfort.

Thanks to widespread delivery services, Korean women can conveniently order tteokbokki right to their door. This ease of access makes it a popular stress food.

One of my friends shared a house with two other women. She said the three of them would often order tteokbokki together, around eight times in a month! 🍲

What Is Korean Food Tteokbokki

The name comes from two words. "Tteok" means rice cake, the main ingredient, and "Bokki" means stir-fry. So, together, "tteokbokki" describes the dish as rice cakes that are stir-fried.

These rice cakes are then coated in a thick, tasty sauce made primarily from gochujang (고추장), which is Korea's famous red chili paste.

What Does Tteokbokki Taste Like

The special taste of tteokbokki comes from gochujang chili paste. It's both a little spicy and sweet at the same time. Some shops allow customers to choose how spicy they want it.

The rice cakes are chewy with a soft texture. The dish often includes fish cakes, boiled eggs, and vegetables like green onions and cabbage for added flavor.

Overall, Tteokbokki combines sweet, spicy, and savory flavors with the chewy texture of rice cakes.

Types of Tteokbokki

1. Classification Based on the Type of Rice cake

The different types of rice cakes used in tteokbokki can provide varying textures. Regular rice cakes (쌀떡) have a nice chew, while Garaetteok (가래떡) are made from the same ingredients but are larger in size, giving them a bolder texture. Wheat rice cakes (밀떡) are very soft and absorb the seasoning well. Personally, I prefer wheat rice cakes the most.

2. Classification Based on the Sauce

The type of tteokbokki can vary depending on the sauce or toppings used. For example:

• Rozé Tteokbokki: Includes milk and whipped cream.
• Cheese Tteokbokki: Tossed in a creamy cheese sauce.
• Jjajang Tteokbokki: Coated in a salty-sweet black bean paste sauce.
• Ganjang Tteokbokki: Traditional soy sauce-based.
• Mara Tteokbokki: Enhanced with Chinese-style mara sauce.
• Oil Tteokbokki: Minimal broth and deep-fried in oil.

Where Can I Eat Tteokbokki

1. Traditional Markets or Street Vendors

You can still enjoy delicious tteokbokki at traditional markets and from street vendors. Tteokbokki stalls, with their roots as a beloved Korean street snack, are a popular choice. It's a great way to taste the classic flavors Koreans have loved for years. You can try it at places like Tongin Market or Gwangjang Market.

2. Restaurants with Signs Reading '분식' or '떡볶이'

You can also enjoy tteokbokki at restaurants labeled as 'bunsik (분식)' or 'tteokbokki (떡볶이)' establishments. 'Bunsik' refers to light snack foods in Korean cuisine, and tteokbokki is a popular choice among them. These restaurants are dedicated to serving tteokbokki and other snack items.

3. Tteokbokki Franchises

📍 Dongdaemun yupdduk (동대문 엽기 떡볶이)

You can choose the spiciness level, and you also have the option to substitute tteok with Chinese glass noodles made from potato starch. They have a similar texture but are lower in calories.

🥢 Signature Menu Items: yupgi menu, rose tteokbokki menu

© Dongdaemun yupdduk website

📍 Youngdabang (청년다방)

🥢 Signature Menu Items: Cha-dol (Beef Brisket) Tteokbokki, Butter Garlic Potato Fries

© Youngdabang website

📍 Dookki (두끼)

This is a buffet-style set-up where you can select your own ingredients and sauces to cook the tteokbokki yourself. This allows for customization - you can choose your preferred rice cakes, proteins, vegetables and bind different sauces based on your tastes.

Time Limit: 1 hour and 30 minutes.

© Dookki website

Top Tteokbokki Boosters: Combinations that Enhance the Flavor

Here are some simple ways to make your tteokbokki taste even better:

• Soondae (순대): When you dip soondae into the spicy tteokbokki broth, its soft texture soaks up the flavors. The tasty sausage goes well with the sauce.

• Fried foods (튀김): Whether it's chicken, seafood, or veggies, the crispy outer layer of fried foods pairs nicely with the flavorful sauce. The mix of textures is satisfying.

• Kimbap (김밥): Try dipping bite-sized portions of kimbap in the sauce.

• Eat it like a meal by adding Korean-style pasta like ramen. This combination is also popularly known as rabokki (라볶이).

Wrap-up

It's amazing how the Korean rice cake dish, Tteokbokki, which we used to eat on our way home from school in our childhood, has become so popular. Its spicy and sweet flavor is addictive, and it helps relieve stress. You can choose from various types of rice cakes and a variety of sauces, including options like rose Tteokbokki or a milder version. When you visit Korea, make sure to try this Korean food. You can enjoy it at traditional markets like Tongin Market or Gwangjang Market, as well as at renowned franchises such as Yupdduk and Dookki, available nationwide.