There are different kinds of rice cakes that can be used to make all of the Tteok-bokki recipes that I talked about. Rice cakes can vary in shape, color, flavor, the base ingredient it is made from, and even what filling is added to the inside of the rice cake.
The base ingredient that rice cakes can be made out of is rice flour and or wheat flour. (It can also be a combination of the two.) There are pros and cons to both versions, so you can decide which you prefer.
Rice Cakes Made with Rice (쌀떡):
- Made from rice
- It has a chewier, thicker texture
- Does not absorb sauce fully
- It expands a lot when simmered and can get soggy quicker
- Naturally gluten-free
Rice cakes made from rice are called “쌀떡” in Korean. They have a chewier, more dense texture. Rice cakes made with rice are thicker, and because of this, when this kind of rice cake is simmered in sauce, the sauce does not penetrate all the way into the rice cake. If you were to cut the cooked rice cake in half, it would still have a white center.
Rice cake made with rice can get soggy and expand much easier, especially if it is simmered for a long time. So don’t simmer it for too long; it works great in instant Tteok-bokki for this reason. This rice cake is also easier to digest because it doesn’t have gluten.
Rice Cakes Made with Flour (밀떡):
- Made from flour
- Absorbs the sauce well
- It does not get soggy as easily as rice-based rice cakes
- Contains gluten
Rice cakes made with wheat flour (밀떡) are made from flour instead of rice. This type of rice cake absorbs the sauce that it is cooked in really well. It has a chewy texture and does not get soggy easily, so it is a popular choice for Korean restaurants. Because it contains gluten, it can be a little harder to digest and is also more filling.
Flavored Rice Cakes
Rice cakes can be further customized through additions of natural colors and fillings.
Rice cakes can be colored using natural powders such as sweet potato or pumpkin. The point of adding these powders is to add color and flavor. Along with color, rice cakes can be stuffed with various ingredients like potato or cheese. Experimenting with these fun variations of rice cake can make your favorite rice cake dish even more special.
Rice Cake Shapes
There are different shapes of rice cakes that are available on the market. The various shapes and lengths are usually used for certain dishes but are versatile.
- 가래떡 is a long-cylinder rice cake. It is one of the most commonly used rice cakes. It is available fresh and packaged. It is chewy and plush in texture. Cylinder-shaped rice cakes are most popular in tteok-bokki recipes. Cylinder-shaped rice cakes hold their shape well even when they expand. They can vary in length, but the average size is approx. 2-3 inches. There are some super long cylinder-shaped rice cakes that you can experiment with, but they are a little harder to find!
- 떡국떡 is sliced 가래떡. This shape of rice cake is most often used for rice cake soup (떡국) but can be added to ramen or army base stew (부대찌개). These sliced rice cakes cook quickly and can get soggy quickly, so do not over-simmer them.
- 조랭이떡 is a bow tie-shaped rice cake. It offers a different shape and dense, chewy texture. It can be used for soups and side dishes. I think babies and kids would enjoy this shape of rice cake.
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