Cheese Tteokbokki: Melty, Stretchy, Gooey Goodness

Tteokbokki is a beloved Korean traditional food that has sticks of rounded rice cake as the main ingredient. It is a popular street food in South Korea and is also known as baked cheese or cheese and rice cake skewers. The addition of cheese on top levels up the dish. Mozzarella, cheddar, and American cheese are some of the most popular cheeses used in this dish.

Mozzarella, cheddar, or a blend of both

Mozzarella and cheddar are both popular choices of cheese for tteokbokki, a beloved Korean dish of stir-fried rice cakes. The rice cakes are typically cylindrical and made from non-glutinous rice flour. They are stir-fried in a sweet and spicy sauce, with other ingredients such as fish cakes, boiled eggs, and green onions.

Mozzarella is a common choice for tteokbokki as it melts and stretches well, and its mild flavour allows the other flavours in the dish to shine. Cheddar is also a good option as it melts easily and adds a rich saltiness that pairs well with the rice cakes.

A blend of mozzarella and cheddar can be a great way to get the best of both cheeses. The mozzarella provides a good base with its mild flavour and excellent melting properties, while the cheddar adds a flavour boost with its sharpness. This combination can create a super creamy and smooth sauce with a good amount of cheesiness.

When using a blend of mozzarella and cheddar, it is important to consider the proportions to achieve the desired flavour and texture. Experimentation is key to finding the perfect ratio for your taste preferences. Additionally, the quality of the cheese can impact the final result, with higher-quality cheese often yielding a smoother sauce.

Whether you choose mozzarella, cheddar, or a blend of both, this Korean dish is sure to be a tasty treat, especially with the addition of cheese, which has gained popularity among the younger generation in Korea.

Melty cheese options

When making tteokbokki, the type of cheese you use is important to get that signature gooey, melty texture. The cheese you choose should also complement the spicy rice cakes without overwhelming them.

Mozzarella is a popular choice for tteokbokki as it has a mild flavour and is delightfully stringy when melted. It is also easily accessible outside of Korea. For extra gooeyness, you could add some cream or American cheese to your mozzarella.

If you're in the US, a combination of mozzarella and cheddar is a great option. This will give you a super creamy sauce with excellent cheese pull potential. You could also add some Jack cheese to the mix.

For those in Korea, you could try one of the ultra-stringy, melty cheeses that are now commonly available. If you're feeling adventurous, you could even experiment with smoked gouda for an extra kick of smoky flavour.

Remember, you want a cheese with a mild flavour that will complement the other ingredients without being too overpowering. So, when choosing your cheese, consider a combination of mild flavour and excellent melting capabilities.

How to store leftovers

Leftovers from your delicious tteokbokki meal can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. To reheat, simply add a splash of broth on low heat and cover the dish until it is soft and warm.

If you're storing rice cakes, it's best to keep them fresh. However, if you need to store them, opt for refrigeration instead of freezing, as frozen rice cakes tend to crack and lose their chewy texture.

For cheese, it's best to purchase it in blocks and grate it yourself to create a smooth sauce. Pre-shredded cheese often contains fillers or stabilizers, which can result in a gritty texture when melted.

When storing leftover cheese, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminium foil, or place it in an airtight container. Ensure that the cheese is not exposed to air, as this will cause it to dry out. You can also store cheese in the freezer, but it may become crumbly and lose some of its flavour.

Making it vegan

Tteokbokki is a popular Korean street food consisting of rice cakes stir-fried or simmered in a sweet, spicy, and sticky red sauce. The dish is already mostly vegan, but it's easy to make it 100% vegan with a few simple swaps.

Ingredients

The ingredients for vegan tteokbokki are almost identical to those for the traditional dish. You will need:

• Korean rice cakes (garaetteok or garatteok)
• Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
• Gochugaru (Korean red chilli pepper flakes)
• Vegetable broth or stock (to replace the anchovy broth used in the traditional recipe)
• Sweetener (e.g. maple syrup, brown rice syrup, agave syrup, sugar)
• Scallions or green onions
• Sesame oil
• Sesame seeds

Optional extra ingredients include:

• Napa cabbage
• Carrots
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Garlic
• Low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
• Ramen noodles
• Sweet potato vermicelli
• Fried dumplings or tempura (e.g. sweet potato tempura)
• Kimmari (tempura seaweed wrapped around glass noodles)
• Fried tofu skins (to replace the fish cakes in the traditional recipe)
• Other vegetables (e.g. zucchini, onions, cabbage, broccoli)

Method

• Prepare the broth by warming some vegetable broth or stock on the stove and adding cabbage, carrot, garlic, and/or other vegetables.
• Stir in the gochujang, gochugaru, sweetener, and tamari or soy sauce.
• Add the rice cakes and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice cakes have softened and the sauce has thickened.
• Turn off the heat and garnish with scallions or green onions, sesame oil, and sesame seeds.

Tips

• It's best to use freshly made, refrigerated, or frozen rice cakes. Shelf-stable rice cakes can be very dry.
• If using frozen rice cakes, thaw them in the fridge the night before and/or submerge them in warm water for 20-30 minutes before cooking.
• Marinating the rice cakes in sesame oil, black pepper, gochugaru, and gochujang before adding them to the broth will help to tenderise them and infuse them with flavour.
• Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, but the rice cakes may become hard and stale within an hour of cooking.

Other ingredients to add

Tteokbokki is a popular Korean street food made with rice cakes, fish cakes, soup stock, and gochujang (Korean chilli paste). It is often served with cheese, usually mozzarella, but other melty cheeses can be used.

• Dumplings (mandu)
• Cabbage
• Ramen noodles
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Seafood
• Sausages
• Scallions/green onions
• Sesame seeds
• Sesame oil
• Korean chilli flakes (gochugaru)
• Sugar
• Soy sauce
• Garlic
• Kimchi

For a vegan option, swap out the chicken or anchovy broth for vegetable broth.

Frequently asked questions