Shindang-dong Tteok Bok Ki

        Tteokokki has a lot more history than one might first imagine. Although now a popular street food snack,

        tteokbokki is derived from Korean royal court cuisine, and its development over the centuries traces Korea’s

        history.

        Tteokbokki was originally a savory stir-fry made of rice cakes (tteok or long garaetteok), meat, vegetables,

        and mushrooms, and seasoned with soy sauce.

        But now a new recipe was made featuring the spicy-sweet kick of Gochujang. This is when tteokbokki became

       the delicacy ,we are familiar with today. Although Gochujang tteokbokki can be found at street food carts all

       across the city, the original

       restaurant where this spicy rice cake dish can still be found in Sindang-dong Tteokbokki Town, a wide alley

       southeast of  Dongdaemun Market.  Rather than a light snack, the local tteokbokki here is treated as a full meal,

       cooked in large portions at

       the customer’s table. Also unlike the tteokbokki served from street food carts, this style isn’t as hot, seasoned

       instead with a combination of red pepper paste and black sauce or black bean sauce.