Park Han-sol reports on Korea's financial regulators, along with fintech and insurance. She previously wrote about the art world, from biennales and exhibitions to fairs and auctions, with a focus on Seoul and the figures shaping the scene. Before joining The Korea Times, she spent a year at ABC News' Seoul bureau, contributing to coverage of major Asia-Pacific events.
Tteokbokki: Koreans' No. 1 comfort food, street snack
Granny Ma Bok-lim Tteokbokki's steaming pot of tteokbokki, filled with rice cakes, fish cakes, noodles and dumplings bathed in a red chili pepper sauce / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
By Park Han-sol
Tteokbokki, a dish of chewy rice cakes simmered in fiery gochujang (red chili paste), is arguably Korea's most iconic street snack.
Originally a gourmet meal served with soy sauce and beef in the royal courts during the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom, the dish first transformed into its current addictive, spicy form in the 1950s in Seoul's Sindang-dong area at the hands of a vendor named Ma Bok-lim.
Since then, this beloved and budget-friendly favorite has been readily available at street stalls near schools and in bustling districts like Myeong-dong, satisfying the cravings of hungry students and stressed-out office workers alike.
Its nostalgic and sentimental value runs deep. In fact, a 2020 online survey conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, which garnered over 10,000 responses, crowned tteokbokki as the No. 1 comfort food during the COVID-19 pandemic.
And as the go-to snack for Koreans, it has made countless appearances in the country's globally popular content — from K-dramas and K-films to K-pop — driving its growing appeal and demand outside Korea.
In 2020, a photo of BTS member Jimin enjoying tteokbokki at Dongdaemun Market in Seoul went viral, sparking interest in the dish and boosting sales of its pre-packaged meal kits.
The food has also been featured in numerous TV and Netflix series, including "My Liberation Notes," "The Beauty Inside," "Be Melodramatic," "Hello, My Twenties!" and "Kill Boksoon."
Most recently, the hit legal drama "Good Partner," starring veteran actor Jang Na-ra as a successful divorce lawyer, incorporated tteokbokki into its plot line as a late-night "magic" dish that can make even the seemingly cold-hearted workaholic open up about her feelings.
Mukbang videos of YouTubers devouring glowing red, cheesy plates of rice cakes and noodles are also easy to come across, with many racking up millions of views.
Even the iconic American educational TV show "Sesame Street" has given tteokbokki a spotlight, describing it as the favorite food of Ji-young, the first-ever Asian American Muppet to join the series in 2021.