Tteokbokki Is a Start-Up Food That Is Making a Comeback in the UK
When you think of Tteokbokki, most people probably imagine the pillowy soft rice cakes doused in hot red pepper sauce popularized by BTS singer Jimin. But there’s more to this classic street food than meets the eye.
Tteokbokki’s popularity in America is a testament to the power of food to transcend borders and bring together diverse cultures through a shared love of cuisine. It also serves as a reminder of the adaptability of Korean cuisine as it continues to evolve and grow in new environments while retaining its distinctive identity.
As Tteokbokki has migrated across the ocean, its traditional recipe has been adjusted to suit American palates and ingredients. This has included adding cheese and other dishes to the traditional gochujang-based dish. While these adaptations deviate from the original recipe, they’ve helped make Tteokbokki more accessible to a larger audience and have contributed to its continued growth.
The tteokbokki itself is fairly bland but the dipping sauces provide plenty of flavor and texture variation. The traditional gochujang sauce is spicy, sweet, and savory with a great umami flavor from the anchovy or kelp base. Other tteokbokki sauces include curry, cream sauce, and topped with seafood or beef for those who are more adventurous.떡볶이프랜차이즈
Adding extra toppings like boiled eggs, fish cakes, and vegetables makes it even heartier and filling. The tteokbokki can be eaten on its own or with a side of gimbab (seaweed rice rolls). It’s a perfect food to share with friends.
As Korean food becomes more mainstream, tteokbokki is making a bigger push into retail. One start-up developed a tteokbokki powder that can be sprinkled on top of other dishes for added flavor and color, and has caught the attention of major buyers at Walmart and Amazon.프랜차이즈창업
While it may be a bit too early to say whether the Tteokbokki craze will reach the UK, there are signs of interest. Korean food stores are starting to expand their offerings and you can already find pre-packaged tteokbokki at Costco.
As the popularity of Tteokbokki in America grows, it will be interesting to see how the dish develops in other markets around the world and what unique adaptations are made to its traditional recipe. It’s also a good reminder of how important it is to support Korean restaurants and products in their quest to make the world tteokbokki-happy.