How to Make Tteokbokki

What Is Tteokbokki? 

Tteokbokki is a popular Korean dish made from small cylinder-shaped rice cakes, which are stir-fried and served with a sweet and spicy red chilli sauce and, often, fish cakes. It is one of the best-loved street food dishes in Korea. Tteokbokki originates from the Joseon Dynasty, where a braised dish of sliced rice cakes, meat and eggs, known as tteok jjim, was served to royals in the royal court. Originally, the dish would have been brown, but in the mid-1900s, gochujang - a red-coloured spicy chilli paste - was added, creating the red tteokbokki dish we know and love today.  

What Is Tteokbokki Made Of? 

Tteokbokki is made with a rice cake called garaetteok, which is made from short-grain rice in a cylinder shape. This type of rice cake for tteokbokki dishes can be found fresh at Korean markets, in sachets ready with sauce, or in an instant cup (like instant noodles). 

The rice cakes are typically accompanied by a sauce made from anchovy broth and seasoned with gochujang, soy sauce and sugar. 

While the garaetteok and sauce can be eaten alone, many tteokbokki dishes will include additional ingredients for flavour and texture, such as eomuk (thin fish cake), garlic, spring onion, or cabbage. 

What Does Tteokbokki Taste Like? 

Tteokbokki is a sweet and spicy dish, so those are the main flavours you will enjoy from the dish. The texture of the rice cakes is chewy and tender.

The added ingredients in the dish will also have an impact on the flavour. Often the sauce enjoyed with tteokbokki uses a broth made from dried anchovies, which adds a nice umami flavour.

The dish is often served topped with slices of spring onion, which adds another layer of fragrant flavour. 

If you find the flavour of your tteokbokki dish too spicy, then you can add some grated cheese or sesame oil to balance out the taste. 

How to Cook Tteokbokki 

If you would like to cook tteokbokki yourself from scratch, you can follow the recipe below.