Tteokgeuk: Rice Cake Soup
In Korea, New Year is generally celebrated at the start of the year on the lunar calendar called Seollal. However as time passed by, Koreans have also started celebrating the event at the start of the solar calendar (January 1st), just like in America.
During this holiday, many traditions are observed including serving Tteokgeuk (떡국) or soup made using rice cake. They believe that everyone’s age goes up during Seolall, and this process won’t be completed until they eat this dish.
So during New Years, you can ask your Korean friends the question “Did you eat a bowl of rice cake soup today?” which also means “Are you one year older?”
Tteokguk is also believed to bring good luck for the rest of the year, which is why it is always seen on the table during the celebrations.
It is not clear when the custom of eating rice cake soup during New Year started but, the earliest record of this meal dates back to the 19th century. It is usually made using beef broth, and pepper to season.
Since this dish includes the main ingredient of tteok or rice cake which is, colour white, it is alleged to symbolise purity and cleanliness. Thus, eating it during Seollal was practiced to start the upcoming year fresh.
Additionally, the disc shape of the rice cakes is similar to the appearance of coins, signifying good fortune.
To cook tteokgeuk, you need to prepare rice cakes (you can buy it at stores or make your own), water, beef – can be flank steak or brisket chopped into tiny pieces, minced garlic, green onion sliced thinly, vegetable oil and eggs.
For the seasoning, get some fish sauce, toasted sesame oil, ground black pepper, seaweed paper, salt and red pepper if you want some spice.
First, boil the beef and garlic in high heat for five minutes. Afterwards, you can turn down the flame and cook it for 25 minutes or until the beef is tender. This will ensure that the water is infused with flavour.
Next, get the seaweed paper and roast it until it is bright green and crispy. Place it in a plastic bag, crush it and then set aside for a while. Then, get the eggs and separate the yolk from the white.
Cook the yolk while making sure it is spread evenly and thinly on the pan, so you can slice it into fine strips. Going back to the boiling soup, you can now add the rice cakes along with the fish sauce and salt.
Wait for 7 to 8 minutes and once the rice cakes start floating, you can put the egg whites little by little. For additional taste, add the sesame oil, ground pepper and green onion.
Stir, and serve with a garnish of yellow egg strips, seaweed and red pepper.
Image credit: Koryo Mart
Here in Singapore, it might be tough to find tteokgeuk despite having many Korean restaurants all over the city. Nevertheless, you can still get a taste of this dish without the trouble of cooking!
For only $4.20, you can experience the soothing rice cake soup in just 3 minutes!
All you need to do is pour the sauce packets and contents, add hot water, mix and microwave for 3 minutes without the lid. You can also use cold water, but make sure to heat it up for an extra 30 seconds.
This product is available at Koryo Mart’s physical store or official website.
You can also watch how to cook this traditional New Year’s dish below:
