Tteokbokki

Tteokbokki is a Korean dish made mainly from chewy rice cakes cooked in a sauce, most commonly a spicy gochujang-based sauce.

Tteokbokki is a Korean dish made from chewy rice cakes cooked in a sauce, most commonly a spicy gochujang-based version. It's a popular street food and comfort food in Korea, and widely available in Canada.

What it is

Tteokbokki centres on small cylindrical rice cakes called garae-tteok, simmered in a thick sauce. The best-known version uses gochujang (Korean chilli paste), giving it a spicy, sweet, and savoury flavour. Common additions include fish cake, scallions, boiled egg, and vegetables. Some versions use soy sauce instead of chilli paste for a milder taste.

Why it matters

Tteokbokki is a staple of Korean street food culture, often sold at pojangmacha stalls. It's also a common home-cooked comfort dish. In Canada, it's widely available through Korean restaurants, Asian grocery stores, and some supermarkets, reflecting the country's multicultural food scene.

Key details

The dish is typically chewy, soft, and saucy, with a flavour profile that balances spicy, sweet, savoury, and umami notes. Preparation involves cooking rice cakes in a sauce made from gochujang or soy sauce, garlic, sugar, and stock, then simmering until the rice cakes soften and the sauce thickens. Historical versions differ from the modern spicy street-food form.