Deliciously chewy rice cakes tossed in a savory soy sauce glaze, often garnished with sesame seeds.
Documented in late-Joseon court records as gungjung-tteokbokki ("palace tteokbokki"), served to royalty by the 19th century with beef, vegetables, and a soy-based seasoning. The red gochujang version emerged only in the 1950s in Seoul's Sindang-dong, popularized by a vendor named Ma Bok-rim. The soy-glazed original survived as a home and traditional-restaurant dish, milder and considered more refined.
The original palace tteokbokki, in late-Joseon court records before red gochujang took over in 1950s Sindang-dong via vendor Ma Bok-rim. Garae-tteok must be soaked first, or it grinds chalky.
Ganjang tteokbokki: cylindrical white rice cakes (garae-tteok), simmered in a soy-sugar-sesame glaze with sliced beef, mushrooms, julienned carrot, scallion. Sesame seeds on top. The cakes are chewy-bouncy, not soft like mochi; the glaze is dark and barely coats — this is the older, palace-style tteokbokki, before gochujang took over the dish in the 20th century.
Garae-tteok must be soaked or briefly boiled to soften before glazing — fresh cakes are stiff, day-old cakes turn rock-hard. The soy glaze reduces around the cakes rather than soaking in (rice cake is essentially impermeable starch); the glaze must be tacky enough to coat. Sesame oil goes in only at the end — added too early, it burns and goes acrid.
Variations
Gungjung-tteokbokki (court soy version with beef and vegetables); Sindang-dong red gochujang style after Ma Bok-rim; Jeolla rabokki adds ramyeon noodles; cheese-tteokbokki is the 1990s student-cafe layer.
On the Palate
Where Korean Rice Cake with Soy Sauce Glaze sits in the Korean flavor cloud
Soften the rice cakes first, then reduce the soy glaze around them rather than into them: garae-tteok is near-impermeable starch, so the sauce has to cook down tacky enough to coat — and the sesame oil goes in only at the very end, or it scorches acrid.
Ingredients
How it's made
4 steps · 11 min
- 16 min
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the Korean rice cakes. Cook until they are soft and chewy, about 5 minutes. Drain them well and set aside.
Watch outThe cakes are ready when they float and turn springy-soft — press one and it should give and bounce back, not stay firm at the core.
- 21 min
In a pan, heat sesame oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Watch outSauté the garlic only until it smells fragrant and just turns pale gold — the second it browns it goes bitter, so keep it moving.
- 32 min
Add the cooked rice cakes to the pan and stir-fry them with the garlic until they are well coated in the oil, about 2 minutes.
Watch outMake sure the rice cakes are heated through and coated evenly to avoid sticking.
- 42 min
Pour light soy sauce into the pan and continue to stir-fry until the rice cakes are evenly glazed and the sauce has slightly thickened, about 2 more minutes.
Watch outIt's done when the soy has reduced to a glossy film hugging each cake and the pan is nearly dry, not swimming in sauce.
