History
The modern spicy tteokbokki (gochujang-sauced rice cakes) was invented by Ma Bok-rim in Sindang-dong, Seoul, in 1953 after the Korean War. The original Joseon dish was entirely different: a non-spicy preparation using soy sauce, beef and vegetables, eaten by the royal court. Ma Bok-rim's gochujang version was a post-war reinvention that spread from Sindang-dong across the city and then the country. Sindang-dong Tteokbokki Town still operates today, a cluster of restaurants each claiming the original recipe. Variations now include rabokki (with ramen), cheese tteokbokki, and cream-based versions.
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Common allergens: Gluten in tteok (rice cake may contain wheat), Sesame
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 300g tteok (cylinder-shaped rice cakes, fresh or soaked if dried)
- 150g fish cakes (eomuk), sliced
- 3 tablespoons gochujang
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup or honey
- 500ml anchovy and kelp broth (or water with 1 tsp dashi powder)
- 2 stalks spring onion, cut into 5cm lengths
Method
- Bring the broth to a boil. Add gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, and corn syrup. Stir to combine.
- Add the tteok and fish cakes to the boiling sauce. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring regularly to prevent sticking.
- After 8 to 10 minutes, the sauce should be thick and coating the rice cakes. Add the spring onion.
- Cook a further 2 minutes. The tteok should be soft but still chewy in the centre.
- Serve immediately from the pan while the sauce is still bubbling.
Tip from the editors. The sauce reduces quickly, so add extra broth if it becomes too thick before the tteok are fully cooked. Fresh tteok cook faster than soaked dried ones.
Where to eat tteokbokki
Tteokbokki in Seoul
Sindang Tteokbokki Town ★ 4.4
Sindang-dong Tteokbokki Town is the origin neighbourhood of the modern spicy tteokbokki -- Ma Bok-rim developed gochujang-seasoned rice cakes here in 1953.
TryTteokbokki (various styles: original, cheese, rabokki)
Myeongdong Street Food Alley ★ 4.2
The Myeongdong pedestrian strip turns into one of the densest street food corridors in Asia after 16:00, with stalls selling tteokbokki (spicy rice.
TryTteokbokki, corn dogs, egg bread (gyeran-ppang)
Jongno 3-ga Pojangmacha Street ★ 4.2
The 200-metre stretch in front of Ikseon-dong from Exit 5 to Exit 6 at Jongno 3-ga Station is Seoul's most concentrated pojangmacha (street food tent).
OrderTteokbokki and odeng (fish cake skewer in anchovy broth).
TipArrive by 19:00 or earlier to find a free stool; cash only at most tents.
More cities are in research. Want tteokbokki covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.