Tteokbokki

Stroll along any city center in Korea, and you’ll find plenty of pojangmacha and bunsikjip (street food stalls and snack bars) making and selling tteokbokki (떡볶이). Also spelled ddukbokki, it is a dish of Korean rice cakes (garaetteok), most commonly stir-fried in a spicy sauce made from gochujang (red chili paste) and a savory broth. Similar to Japanese dashi, this broth is usually made with dried kelp and anchovies. For added heat and depth of color, gochugaru (chili flakes) are added, with a little rice syrup (mullyeot) or sugar to balance the flavors. Sliced green onions and sesame seeds finish the dish. Tteokbokki may be served with a thinner, soup-like sauce, to which eomuk (fish cakes) and hard-boiled eggs are added, or as a drier dish, with a thicker sauce. Again, fish cakes and eggs are optional.