What is Topokki / Tteokbokki?
Tteokbokki is a popular Korean traditional food of stir-fried rice cake, made from Garae-tteok – a long-cylindrical glutinous rice cake. The word ‘tteok' is the Korean word for rice cake and 'bokki' is the Korean word for something fried. It is a popular street food in Korea and loved by both young and adults all over the world.
Origin
As mentioned above, tteokbokki has been originated from the Korean cuisine since the 19th century. It had been referred to with different names over the years with ‘tteok’ being the consistent term used. The spicy version of this dish was introduced in 1950s, which has been the most popular one so far. From being a staple dish in the royal court cuisine to now being a popular street food in Korea, Tteok has a rich history in the Korean cuisine.
Types
Some of the common ingredients added into this dish include boiled eggs and scallion. It is usually seasoned with either spicy gochujang (chili paste) or non-spicy ganjang (soy sauce)-based sauce, with chili paste being the most common one. Over the years, various versions have been infused into this dish, in the form of curry, cream sauce, or black bean sauce, seafood, short-ribs, dumplings, ramen etc. Most supermarkets sell its frozen version in various shapes, round, cylindrical, thick or thin sliced etc.
Taste
Topokki is generally sweet, spicy, chewy and simply delicious. The simple comfort food is highly versatile and can be easily experimented with various ingredients. The key to the perfect topokki is the right ratio of gochujang and gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes), that gives a spicy kick without compromising the sweet and salty flavours. The non-spicy food lovers can substitute the red peppers with soy sauce and add vegetables like mushroom, carrots, onion etc. for a nutritious and fulfilling meal.
Where can I buy Topokki from?
Singarea offers a variety of Topokki products in ready-made and instant version from various Korean brands. You can savour the authentic Korean topokki taste and aroma like home and add your favourite garnishing to suit your appetite.