Tteokguk
In its own language: 떡국
Korean soup of sliced rice cakes in clear broth, eaten for the New Year
Tteokguk is a Korean soup made with thin slices of rice cake simmered in a clear, savory broth. It is most closely linked with Seollal, the Korean New Year, when families gather to eat it for good luck and to mark growing a year older. The dish is often topped with egg, meat, seaweed, and sesame oil.
- Tteokguk is eaten to celebrate the Korean New Year, Seollal.
- Thinly sliced rice cakes are the main ingredient.
- The soup is topped with egg, meat, seaweed, and sesame oil.
- Eating tteokguk is believed to bring good luck and mark aging a year.
- Regional versions use different broths and rice cake shapes.
What is Tteokguk?
Tteokguk is a soup where oval slices of soft, chewy rice cake (tteok) are cooked in a light, clear broth. The soup is usually topped with strips of cooked egg, pieces of seasoned meat, roasted seaweed (gim), and a splash of sesame oil. The rice cakes are made from pounded rice shaped into long cylinders, then sliced before cooking. The finished bowl is pale and delicate, with a mild, comforting flavor.
Where does Tteokguk come from?
Tteokguk has long been associated with the Korean New Year, but its exact beginnings are not recorded. Written accounts from the 19th century describe it as a dish eaten to mark the start of the year, with beef or pheasant broth and pepper for seasoning. The white color of the rice cakes is said to symbolize purity and a fresh start. Over time, the custom of eating tteokguk became a ritual for good fortune and aging another year.
How is Tteokguk made?
To prepare tteokguk, a broth is made by simmering meat such as beef or chicken, sometimes with soy sauce for flavor. The broth is strained for clarity. Cylindrical rice cakes, called garaetteok, are cut on a diagonal and boiled in the broth until tender. Before serving, the soup is topped with thin strips of cooked egg, seasoned meat, seaweed, and a drizzle of sesame oil. Regional versions may use different broths or rice cake shapes.
How and when is Tteokguk eaten?
Tteokguk is most often served during Seollal, the Korean New Year, when families gather and share the soup as part of ancestral rites and festive meals. Eating a bowl is believed to bring luck and mark the passing of another year. While it was once a seasonal dish, tteokguk is now enjoyed throughout the year, usually as a lunch or dinner meal. It is eaten hot, often with side dishes.
Kinds of Tteokguk
Several regional types of tteokguk exist. In Chungcheong province, small rice balls or sliced rice cakes made from a mix of glutinous and regular rice are used. Kaesong's version features twisted, cocoon-shaped rice cakes. On Jeju Island, a different kind of rice cake called jeolpyeon is sliced for the soup. Some areas use chicken or seafood for the broth instead of beef.
What Tteokguk means
Tteokguk is deeply tied to Korean New Year celebrations, both as a festive food and as part of ancestral offerings. The tradition includes asking how many bowls someone has eaten as a playful way to talk about age. The soup appears in literature and film, and while it has special meaning during Seollal, it is now a familiar dish year-round.
When Tteokguk is on the table
Questions people ask about Tteokguk
What is tteokguk made of?
Tteokguk is made with thin slices of rice cake simmered in a clear broth, usually beef-based, and topped with egg, meat, seaweed, and sesame oil.
Where does tteokguk come from?
Tteokguk is a traditional soup from Korea, especially linked to the Korean New Year celebration.
When is tteokguk usually eaten?
Tteokguk is most closely associated with Seollal, the Korean New Year, but is now eaten at other times as well.
Are there different kinds of tteokguk?
Yes, regional varieties use different rice cake shapes and broths, such as twisted or ball-shaped rice cakes, and broths made from chicken or seafood.
Why do people eat tteokguk on New Year's?
Eating tteokguk at New Year is believed to bring good fortune and marks a person as a year older in Korean tradition.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Tteokguk", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Thali rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes, and it is not dietary or allergy advice: recipes differ from cook to cook. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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