Tteokguk

Tteokguk is a Korean soup of thinly sliced rice cakes, traditionally eaten on Seollal, the Korean New Year. For most Koreans it is the dish that marks the start of the year.

History

The origin of the custom of eating tteokguk on New Year's Day is unknown. A nineteenth-century book of customs, the Dongguksesigi, already records it as a dish of this day, made with beef or pheasant for the broth and seasoned with pepper. The same work describes the habit of eating a bowl in the morning to gain a year of age, and the question of how many bowls someone has eaten as a way of asking their age.

In 1946, the historian Ch'oe Namsŏn suggested in his book on Joseon customs that the ritual might be ancient, linked to the white rice cakes, a symbol of purity with which the year was begun in hope of good fortune.

Over time the broth moved from pheasant or chicken to beef, which is now the usual choice. The dish is still tied to the holiday, although it is now eaten throughout the year.

Culture

On Seollal, many families serve tteokguk at a shared meal and also offer it to their ancestors as part of household rites. It is believed to bring good luck for the coming year and, by tradition, one more year of life.

The basic recipe pairs a beef broth simmered for hours and strained clear with cylinder-shaped rice cakes cut on the diagonal. Garnishes include thin strips of egg, marinated meat, gim seaweed, spring onion and a drizzle of sesame oil. Mandu dumplings often accompany it.

Regional versions exist: the saeng or nal tteokguk of Chungcheong, with balls or cylinders of mixed rice; joraengi tteokguk from Kaesong, with cocoon-shaped cakes; gon tteokguk from Jeju island, using sliced jeolpyeon; and a chicken version with soy sauce from Jeolla.

Trivia