Traditional Korean Tteok (Rice Cake) - Information

There are many splendid food culture which Korean have established for long times. Tteok is a typical Korean traditional food which they have widely and commonly used at traditional holiday or ancestral rites or feast like first-birthday party and/or one’s 60^th birthday party.

1.     History and Background

Tteok is made with grain flour through process of steaming or boiling or frittering or malleting. We could assume Tteok would start to make at agrarian society. It was generally used at Koryeo Dynasty and glory days at Joseon Dynasty which Confucianism was deeply introduced and various Tteok was introduced at the four typical ceremonial occasions of age, wedding, funeral and ancestral rites. They made a Tteok simply with grain flour and few simple additives at early Joseon Dynasty and later started to use or mix with fruit or flower or herb which made colorful and various shaped Tteok. The Tteok had been continuously developing for more luxurious and wider variety at higher level people at late Joseon Dynasty like Yangban or King and his families. There are 198 different kinds of Tteok which made with 95 different raw materials          

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2.     Kinds of Tteok and Ceremonial Tteok

As stated above, there are four different kinds of Tteok like steaming or boiling or frittering or malleting. Typical steaming Tteok is Shiru Tteok which is made with rice or sticky rice powder through process of steaming. We could broadly and generally classify as three principal different style Tteok among three countries, China, Japan and Korea. China Tteok is made with wheat flour through baking process. Japan Tteok is made with sticky rice flour through malleting process. Korean Tteok is made with rice flour through steaming process.  

There are about 100 different kinds of steamed Tteok in Korea which typically are Patgomul Shiru Tteok (Rice Cake with Adzuki Bean), Kong Shiru Tteok (rice cake with bean), Baekshuelgi (Pure steamed rice ckae), Gaksaekpyeon (Various Color rice cake), Songpyeon (rice dumpling with different core), Duteop Tteok, Jeung Pyeon, Yakshik (steamed sticky rice block piece) and so on. There are malleting Tteok which is made with steamed rice or its powder through malleting process, hammering on large mortar or large flat wood plate. They are typical like Hien Tteok (white rice cake), Jeolpyeon (pounded rice cake), Ienjeomi (sticky rice cake coated with bean flour), Danjaru and so on. There is other category of Tteok, Gijin Tteok which is made with sticky rice flour through shaping and frittering process. They are typically Jeonbyeong (plain rice pancake), Whajeon (Sticky rice pancake with flower petals), Juak (rice pancake with adzuki bean), Bugumi (various Grain flour pancake with core like adzuki bean) and so on. There is last Tteok made by sticky rice flour through shaping and boiling and coating process which typically are Gumeong Tteok (boiled sticky rice ball  coating with bean powder or adzuki powder), Kyeongdan  (rice ball coating with crushed bean flakes), Danja (sticky rice cake coating with honey and pine nut), Jabgwabyeong (sticky rice cake with various fruits like dried persimmon, dried jujube, pine nut, walnut, dried plum, dried grape and etc.).  

3.     Tteok for Rite of Age Passage and Seasonal Customs

The rie of age passage means important passage people should pass from the birth to the die like 100 days celebration after birth, first year birthday, marriage, 60^th birthday celebration, ancestral ritual formalities and etc. People have prepared these food with praying mind for smoothly taking over hard instances which people used to face during their living. Tteok has been always playing an important role at formalities and keeping middle and core position at the formalities. People used to serve Baeksulgi (plain whir rice cake), Bulgeun Kyeongdan (Red sorghum ball), Osaek Songpyeon (five color rice cake with core) and so on in case baby or children, while Bongchi Tteok, Gaksaek Pyeon, Ienjeolmi, Jeolpyeon and etc. in case adult.      

Baeksulgi is a food treating as holly from old days which people is praying for baby’s safe growing with joyful and pleasure. Bulgeun Kyeongdan is preparing for preventing the baby or children from any possible bad fortune taking into account legend ghost is reluctant to red color. Osaek Song Pyeon is for prying baby would live with smooth and safe in association with universe and/or world control system like principal five elements, five virtues and five different tastes. It is transmitted from ancient that anybody should serve and distribute their preparing Tteok to 100 neighbors for baby’s safe life without disease and long life. People used to prepare Bongchi Tteok with red color adzuki bean and with many layers and distribute these Tteok to visitors at the wedding celebration as well as neighbors after finishing the wedding. This means not only for wedding couple’s living with conjugal harmony but also for long and safe living to senior aging 60^th Birthday.

People used to make Tteok at seasonal celebration day which they prepare and distribute to neighbors for good society harmony as well as supplementing nutrition together. They are typically Yakshik (plain rice cake with dark brown color), Haewon Tteok which is for good harmony with neighbors at full Moon Celebration in January based on Moon Calendar. It is transmitted from old days that anybody had a blames to neighbors and prepared number of Haewon Tteok according to number of blames and distribute them to the blamed neighbors. They thereafter will start to live together under sl close harmony or cooperative mood.   There are also Sookpyeon (mugwort rice cake) and Charyunbyeong (rice cake with wagon wheel shape) at Dano Celebration at 1^st of May every year based on Moon Calendar.   

4.     Changed Tteok and New Way

Tteok has been starting focus under situation people have been pursuing well-being food instead of fat rich Hamburger or sugar rich pizza or cake which were from overseas area. We used to call these kinds of food as junk food, i.e. waste food and recognize these junk food is to destroy human health balance. They recently turned their eye to Tteok which is less sugar and fat inside. As you probably know, there is essential amino acid rich at the Tteok because they are made with various grains. People considered adding additives to Tteok to grain flour material like nut or vegetables or fruits to supplementing minerals and vitamin at grains. We recently see Tteok Café not only where we could take one enough qualified meal on the street but also where we could take fusion food which young generation like to take. They are not special food for special day but common food for every day and easily accessible.   

Baeksulgi-Steamed Plain Rice Cake

Bindae Tteok with Rice Wine - Mung Bean Pan Cake with Rice Wine

Bongchi Tteok - Steamed Price Cake with Adzuki Bean Powder

Modern Style Ddalgi Rice Cake-Strawberry 

Tteok for 100 Days Celebration after Born

Gaepi Tteok-Rice Cake with Core like Adzuki Bean

Gaksaek Jeolpyeon - Colorful Rice Plate Cake 

Ienjeolmi - Sticky Rice Cake with Bean Flour

Jeolpyeon- Plain Rice Cake

Modernized Colorful and Beautiful Rice Cake 

Osaek Songpyeon- Five Color Rice Cake with Core inside

Shiru Tteok- Rice Cake with Adzuki Bean Flour 

Susu Kyeongdsan- Sorghun Ball with Adzuki Flour Coating. 

Malleting Steamed Sticky Rice 

Korea Traditional Fruit is also Super-food - Information

Korea Traditional Fruit are Korea tangerine, Korea citron, Korea Pear, Korea apple, Korea melon, Korea apricot, strawberry, plum which contains healthy nutrition and effectiveness.

It has been long time ago introduced to our dining table as a super-food that imported blueberry is anti-oxidation rich fruit and imported orange vitamin C rich fruit. But Korea traditional fruit are well enough to perform such healthy supplementary effectiveness as imported fruit performance. Most people could not realize these traditional Korea Fruit because they are so easily and closely available. If you take these Korea traditional fruit all, those will be super-food effectiveness or performance like imported fruit.

Distance and time are the most important condition that we could really enjoy natural fruit as they are. Whenever you try to take any fruit producing near to consumer area at right season, you could take an opportunity to take delicious fruit which will give you best and excellent effect after enjoyment

1.     Korea Tangerine

Tangerine is inclusive of vitamin A ten times more than orange which is containing other useful vitamin for anti-oxidation like vitamin A, vitamin B2 and vitamin C. As you take the tangerine, you could feel fresh and recovering from tiredness or fatigue. It is a typical difference between tangerine and orange, you could comparably easy eat nutrition rich inner shell at the tangerine, while you would somewhat hardly eat inner shell at orange. There is hesperidin at tangerine inner shell, anti-oxidation which will also help for vitamin C absorption and make capillary strong so that helpful for recovering capillary disease. There is additionally white string at the inner shell which is vegetable fiber rich and helping digestion improvement  

 TIP : It has been introduced as best season for enjoy the tangerine is a cold season at winter since vitamin C is more rich at tangerine harvesting at cold times than vitamin C at early harvested tangerine.  Please pick up tangerine looking shine and elasticity which should be fresh, when you select good and fresh tangerine. It is recommended tangerine storage at ambient condition and consume as quickly as possible. Most people keep tangerine at refrigerator and sometimes take them for long time. If you store the tangerine at the refrigerator for long time, tangerine lose moisture during the storage.

2.     Korea Citron

Vitamin C content at the Korea Citron is 1.5 times more than that at lemon. We strongly recommend you eat both, shell and flesh since nutrition content is rich high both at shell and flesh. There are beta carotene rich, anti-oxidation at the shell and also calcium rich high for strengthening human born. Additional content is citric acid rich which is one of organic acid and helpful for boosting metabolism and playing a role for discharging bodily waste.

TIP : As indicated at above table, there are high content nutrition at inner shell in Korea citron like riboflavin and beta carotene which is hard to directly eat due to so bitter. If so, you could prepare citron with citron jam. Please cut citron with suitable size and add sugar or honey and tightly sealed and finally keep it under cooled area for about 3 months. You should carefully clean external shell of citron before the cut. It is recommended you would better swamp at boiled water for about 2 minutes or sometime you could clean with diluted vinegar. When you choose a good citron, please pick up no damaged citron on the external shell and not dried core and shell. You should smell citron and confirm unique citron favor.

3.     Korea Pear

Korea pear is Kallium rich, 170mg per 100g which is helpful for improving blood pressure and playing a good role for discharging natrium at the body. There is additional content of enzyme like protease at the pear which is helpful for digestion process. When you eat the pear, you could feel crunch which is due to water solubility fiber or cell which would simulate large intestine good for constipation. There is additional anti-oxidation content so calling as polyphenol which is playing role for protecting from active oxygen attack at the body. Please take the pear before polyphenol’s oxidation after peel off.

TIP : It is the best and good pear there is obvious light yellow brown color, no remaining   green color at the surface which shows bigger round shape and so thinner peel that looks like flesh promptly soaring out whenever touched. Please individually wrap each piece with wrapping plastic and keep in the refrigerator at clod air condition like lower level.

4.     Korea Apple

It is true if you eat apple in the morning since there is a pentene, one of dietary fiber which simulate large intestine for somewhat boosting secretion of gastric juice and smooth discharge. The pentene would also play a role of pulling down level of cholesterol and blood sugar at the body. There are remarkable other useful content both at the flesh and the peel like retinol, beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin which is helpful for purifying blood and strengthening the blood circuit.

TIP : When you select good apple, please choose fresh cored apple which is not dried core and brittle. It would be spending logger time after harvesting, no fresh if apple core is so dried and brittle. As you gently hit by finger, you should hear sound like Taeng which is similar to sound at light metal hit and also check elasticity of apple peel with ellipse shape. Redder is better at the color of apple peel.

5.     Korea Strawberry

Health effectiveness and performance at Korea Strawberry is not lower than that at imported berries like blueberry or cranberry and especially content of vitamin C at the Korea Strawberry is 8 times higher than blueberry and 6 times at cranberry which Kallium content is also 2 times higher than that at the blueberry and cranberry. There are anti-oxidation content at the strawberry like lycopene and anthocyanin coloring red at the strawberry. The lycopene is playing role for improving immune system and strengthening blood circuit which would be effective for antiaging. The anthocyanin is helpful for anti-cancer performance and somewhat effective for improving eyesight..

TIP : When choose a good  strawberry, please pick up any strawberry with undried core and holding with fresh green cor. Color of good strawberry is fresh and shiny red color spreading uniformly all over strawberry. Please avoid to take any strawberry having course shape, especially showing out-coming seed on the surface of strawberry. As you wash or clean the strawberry, please clean and wash with core in order to prevent from possible vitamin C leakage to the water. You should not keep the strawberry at the water long time preventing from any vitamin C leakage to the water.

6.     Korea Apricot

Beta carotene is 3 times higher than that at the mango which is exceptionally higher rich beta carotene than any other fruit. Particular performance of the beta carotene is to protect any damage on the body due to active oxygen attack which would be affective against skin aging and fatigue recovery process. It is particular apricot taste that you feel sweet and sour which is related with organic acid for possibly improving constipation.

TIP : When you selct a good apricot, please rick up any apricot having uniformly orange color with any scratch or damage on the peel. You should keep the apricot at the refrigerator as soon as you buy in order to prevent from any possible softening. Please keep stayed at the refrigerator more than a week. Apricot is a fruit having vitamin A rich while vitamin C poor. Therefore you are recommended you would take other vitamin C rich fruit together like tangerine when you take an apricot to making balance between vitamin A and C.

7.     Korean Melon

Korean melon is helpful for pulling down body heat and supplementing folic acid which is very high rich Kallium 3 times higher than melon at the same plant group. This Kallium is helpful for discharging natrium which is related with blood pressure down. This melon is classified as cold food according to oriental medical theory which is playing a role of pulling down body heat at hot summer season. There are grape sugar and fruit sugar at the melon that could be effective for recovering weakness and fatigue and also could do something for easing thirst at hot summer season. If you like to take folic acid similar to vitamin B, please take the melon with seed core together since folic acid content higher than that at the flesh at the melon. There is additional content of cucurbitacin which is effective for anticancer and detoxification at the liver and high rich at t the peel. If you want to take it, you have to make a melon juice including complete melon peel.

TIP : When you select good Koran melon, please pick up not bigger than adult’s blow fist since bigger Korean Melon used to take tough flesh. Please also check color of Korean melon and pick up shiny yellow and thinner, soft and smooth peel surface. Please don’t take Korean melon with dried core which is keeping fresh and melon flavor.

8.     Korean Plum

Korean plum is good for detoxification and protection performance at liver which is outstandingly high rich citric acid for helping fatigue recovery. The citric acid is to dispose lactate closely relating with fatigue or tiredness and to discharge them to outside body because picric acid is major role for detoxification and protection at the liver. There are additional content at the Korean Plumb like catechin acid and picric acid which are helping for large intestine’s activeness or movement solving constipation as well as diarrhea at the same time.

TIP : As you pick up a good plumb, please choose bright green color and size of each plum is uniform and hard without any scratches. Please don’t take raw plum as it is if you have  weak stomach because strong acid at the plum would be harmful for your stomach. If so, you could arrange to process the plum like plum jam or plum tea or plum pickle so that you could take plum effective performance as well as enjoying delicious plum.  

Korean Apple

Korean Apricot

Korean Citron 

Korean Strawberry

Korean Melon

Korean Plum

Korean Pear

Korean Tangerine

Best 10 Hot Spring in Korea - Information

We call Hot Spring soaring from under-ground with higher average temperature than around under-ground water temperature. It generally contains medical help minerals at the Hot Spring Water. Temperature defining hot spring is varied according to country by country. 25 degree C is definition point in Korea according to Hot Spring Water Law. There are about 440 hot springs in Korea which annually 60 million people are visiting according to the Ministry of Government Administration. Followings are top 10 best hot spring which are selected based on annual number of visitors in 2016.

l  First :  Daejeon Yuseong Hot Spring – Choongnam Province
This hot spring was related with story as Lee Seongge, founder of Joseon Dynasty dropped to this hot spring on the way surveying new capital site of Joseon Dynasty. This is Radium rich simple hot spring which you could feel soft smooth skin after hot spring.

There are around tour location like Muryeong Wangneung (King Tomb), Magoksa Temple, Nosan City, Gwanchoksa Temple, Gyeryeongsan National park, National Science Museum, Expo Science Park and so on.

l  Second : Onyang Hot Spring –Choongnam Province
There are recorded story as Lee Seongge (Founder of Joseon Dynasty), Sejong Great King and Sejo King in Joseon Dynasty were stayed at this hot spring for taking care of their  disease. It is known this hot spring would be helpful for the treatment of skin disease, women’s disease, neuralgia, stomach disorder, angiosclerotic, skin treatment and so on.

There are around tour area like Choongmugong Monument, Onyang Folk Museum, Hyeonchoongsa Temple, Bogwangsa Temple, Shinjeongho Tour Complex, Asan Lake and so on.

l  Third : Bugok Hot Spring-Kyeongnam Province
It has been long times reputed hot spring as so many skin disease patience like leper and itch came over this hot spring for the treatment of their disease. This hot spring is light alkali Sulphur hot spring.  

There are around tour area like Whaangsan Forest  Recreation Center, Wooponeup (swamp), Santokgi Norae Dongsan (hare Singing Knoll), Changneyeong Pachong Exhibition (Shell Mount) and so on.

l  Fourth : Dongrae Hot Spring  - Pusan
This hot spring has been known and reputed as a spring where some Kings at Shilla Dynasty visited for relax or treatment. There are Heoshimcheong Hot Spring at middle of Dongrae Hot Spring Complex which is the biggest hot spring facilities in Asia and contains high rich magnesium element.

There are around tour area like Geumgang Park, Bokcheon Museum, Dongrae Pajeon (Green Onion Pan Cake) Alley and so on.

l  Fifth : Dogo Hot Spring – Choongnam Province
This hot spring has been developed and constructed with Dogo General Leisure Complex which we could enjoy with family base. This spring is Sulphur based salt which smell like rotten egg.

There are around tour area like Asan Rail Bike, World Flower Botanical Garden, Dogo Lake and so on.

l  Sixth : Asan Hot Spring – Choongnam Province
This hot spring contains about 20 different helpful minerals which you could feel soft and smooth and high moisturized skin after hot spring. They call some minerals could drinkable which could boost digestion process in association with active metabolism.

There are around tour area like Yeonginsan Forest Recreation Center,   there are Asan Hyanggyo(Confucian School), Asan Spa Biz (Water Park and Snow Slide) and so on.

l  Seventh Deoksan Hot Spring – Choongnam Province
Lee, Yeulgk, famous scalar at Joseon Dynasty introduced this spring as remarkable effect. This hot spring water could directly drink which is helpful for skin disease, women’s disease, neuralgia, stomach disorder, angiosclerotic, skin treatment and so on.

There are around tour area like Youn, Bong Gil Patriotic House, Sudeoksa Temple, Reputed Beach Resort –Malipo, Daecheon, Nanjido and so on.

l  Eight : Bomun Hot Spring – Kyeongbuk Province
Kyeongju Bomun Hot Spring Complex is covering at Bomun Dong, Amgok Dong and Cheongun Dong which is nominated as special tour area. There are so many international standard level hotels and resort around this area which means you could enjoy the lodge and hot spring together at the same area.

There are around our area like Bomun Lake, Kyeongju World, Seonje Art Gallery, Kyeongju Expo Science Park and so on.

l  Ninth : Jangyu Hot Spring – Kyeongnam Province

This Hot Spring contains high rich silicon oxide which boost skin elasticity and bicarbonate which bacteriostatic and outstandingly reputed as the best effective for skin treatment. This spring is light alkali which is effective for recovering tiredness, boosting blood circulation, preventing from adult disease and so on.

There are around tour area like Kimhae Gaya Theme Park, Jangyu Valley, Jangyu Water Fall, Jangyusa Temple, Gwandong Park, Kimsuro King Tomb and so on.

l  Tenth : Suanbo Hot Spring – Choongbuk Province
This Hot Spring is first one naturally soaring from under-ground in Korea which light alkali helpful for soft and smooth skin and contains fluorine good for protecting tooth cavity.

There are around our area like Joryeongsan Forest Recreation Center, Jeongwon Miruksagi, Songgye Valley, Choongju Lake, Tangeundae and so on.

Bugok Hot Spring in Kyeongnam Province

Daejeon Yuseong Hot Spring in Choongnam Province

Dogo Paradise Hot Spring in Choongnam Province

Jangyu Hot Spring in Kyeongnam Province

Kyeongju Bomun Hot Spring in Kyeongbuk Province

Onyang Oncheon Land Hot Spring in Choongnam Province

Dongrae Heoshimcheong Hot Spring in Pusan City

Suanbo Hot Spring in Choongbuk Province

Deoksan Hot Spring in Choongnam Province

Asan Spavis Hot Spring in Choongnam Province