Tteokguk

Tteokguk is a Korean soup of thin sliced oval rice cakes served in a clear beef broth, traditionally eaten at Lunar New Year (Seollal).

What it really is

Tteokguk is built on sliced garaetteok, cylindrical rice cakes made from non-glutinous rice flour that are cut on the diagonal into thin oval coins. The rice cakes are simmered in a clear broth, usually made from beef brisket or shank and sometimes with added beef broth stock, seasoned with soy sauce, salt and a little sesame oil. The soup is garnished with thin strips of pan-fried egg omelette, shredded seaweed (gim) and sliced spring onion, and often with stir-fried beef strips.

Tteokguk is distinct from tteokbokki, which is a spicy stir-fried or simmered dish of rice cakes in a gochujang sauce, and from other rice cake soups in that the broth is clear and the cakes are sliced thin rather than kept whole or cut into chunks. Regional and home versions vary in broth and garnish, and some use dumplings (mandu) added to the soup.

How it's served

• Served hot in a bowl as a main course, usually with rice cake slices, egg strips and seaweed floating on the broth.
• Eaten with a spoon and chopsticks, with kimchi and other side dishes (banchan) on the side.
• Traditionally eaten on Lunar New Year morning, with the belief that each bowl eaten adds a year of age.
• Often finished at the table with extra black pepper or a few drops of soy sauce.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the key ingredients: sliced rice cake, beef broth, egg and seaweed, for example "Tteokguk – sliced rice cakes in beef broth with egg, seaweed and spring onion".
• Flag allergens that matter: egg, wheat or soy if the broth is seasoned with soy sauce, and sesame oil.
• State whether the beef is included, or whether the soup is made with vegetable stock or with dumplings (mandu-tteokguk).