While many are familiar with November 11th being celebrated as "Pepero Day" in Korea, a lesser-known fact is that this date is also recognized as "National Korean Rice Cake Day." Korean cuisine, renowned for its diverse range of kimchi, similarly boasts an extensive variety of rice cakes. Here, we explore ten distinct types of these traditional Korean rice cakes, each offering a unique taste and cultural experience.
1. Jeolpyeon: Fine rice flour combined with water to create a chewy dough mixture; jeolpyun is one of the most classic types of rice cakes, and what makes this one taste even better is if you give it a slightly crispy outer layer by frying it on the pan with some olive oil.
2. Garaetteok: The most common rice cake you'll see, this rice cake is found in tteokguk and everyone's beloved dish, tteokbokki. A mixture of non-glutinous rice flour and water, this rice cake is made by pounding repeatedly to get it to the chewy consistency everyone has come to know and love.
3. Hwajeon: Also called flower pancakes, these are a sweet treat. Not only are they adorable-looking mounds of rice cake, but they're tasty, too, and often decorated with edible flower petals.
4. Sirutteok: The textures you get from this rice cake are the best of both worlds. The chewy center is often coated with crushed red beans, creating a creamy consistency once bitten. Just be careful, for this type of rice cake can get quite messy.
5. Gyeongdan: Round bite-sized pieces of rice cake. This one is bound to grab your eye for the various colors that they are, from yellow to green and even brown; each color gives off a different taste, too.
6. Songpyeon: Often filled with mung bean paste or red bean paste, songpyeon are pillows of yumminess.
7. Ggultteok: Have you ever tried the childhood snack 'Gushers'? Well, ggultteok is similar in that it's a bite-sized piece of sugary sweetness. You get a burst of honey once you bite into it, and sesame seeds explode in your mouth.
8. Bukkumi: A unique combination of glutinous rice flour and sorghum flour, these rice cakes are pan-fried and look like mandus.
9. Baekseolgi: Steamed fluffy goodness, this white steamed rice cake is perfect if you don't want anything too sweet but nothing too bland.
10. Chapssaltteok: A thin outer layer of chewy rice cake dough wrapped around red bean paste. These are popular snacks, especially during exam season, as it's said to bring good luck to the students.
Have you ever tried all these assortments of rice cakes? If so, which one is your favorite?
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