Korean Rice Cake Soup (New Year Sliced Rice Cake Beef Broth)
Tteokguk is the soup that marks the Korean New Year - eating a bowl is said to add one year to your age, and no Lunar New Year table is complete without it. Thinly sliced oval rice cakes made from garaetteok, a long cylindrical rice cake, are dropped into a clear beef broth that has been carefully skimmed of fat until it gleams. In the hot liquid, the rice cake surfaces soften just enough to release a faint starch that gives the broth the barest hint of body, while the interiors hold a dense, satisfying chew. The broth itself is kept deliberately simple - brisket simmered low and slow, seasoned only with soup soy sauce and salt - so that the rice cakes and their subtle sweetness remain the focus. Beaten egg swirled into the boiling soup forms wispy threads that add a delicate texture, and strips of egg garnish, crushed seaweed, and sometimes sliced scallion complete the bowl. Despite its apparent simplicity, tteokguk carries deep cultural weight: the white color of the rice cakes symbolizes purity and a fresh start, and the round shape of the slices represents coins and wishes for prosperity.
Adjust Servings
Instructions
- 1
Soak 300g rice cakes in cold water for 15 minutes. Thaw first if frozen.
- 2
Cut 150g beef into bite-size, marinate briefly with 0.5 tbsp soup soy sauce and sesame oil.
- 3
Add 1L water and beef to a pot, bring to a boil, and skim foam.
- 4
Add soaked rice cakes and simmer on medium heat for 5-7 minutes until soft.
- 5
Season with 1 tbsp soup soy sauce, garlic, and salt. Pour beaten eggs in a circular motion.
- 6
Add green onion, cook 1 minute, then serve topped with seaweed flakes.
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