Tteokguk (떡국)

Sliced rice-cake soup — eat a bowl, turn a year older (New Year).

Korean name: 떡국
Spice level: Not spicy
Flavor: savory · mild
Typically contains: rice cake, egg
Vegetarian / vegan: Not vegetarian — meat or seafood is core to the dish
Typical price: ₩8,000–₩11,000 per person checked 2026-07 — varies by area
Good to know: Beginner-friendly ●●●●● Solo dining ●●●●○ Kid-friendly ●●●●●
Also written as: tteok guk, ddukguk, rice cake soup, dduk guk

Spice and flavor are editorial assessments of the standard version — individual restaurants and recipes vary. Ingredient notes are typical, not guaranteed: always check with the restaurant for allergies or dietary needs. Eating and cooking notes describe common practice in Korea; our first-hand deep-dives live in the Eat Like a Local guides.

What is Tteokguk?

Tteokguk (떡국) is sliced rice cake soup in clear beef broth, topped with egg ribbons and laver — the dish that defines Korean New Year. Eating a bowl on Seollal officially makes you one year older, and the coin-shaped tteok slices symbolize prosperity. Outside the holiday it is an everyday light meal: chewy rice cake, clean broth, gentle flavors, and one of the least spicy entries in Korean soup culture.

How to eat it

Eat a full bowl on Lunar New Year — finishing it is how you 'turn a year older' in the traditional counting.
Spoon the coin-shaped rice cakes with broth; they're sliced thin to symbolize prosperity.
Top with the egg ribbons and gim as you go, not all at once.

Cooking it at home

Simmer sliced garaetteok (soaked 30 minutes if refrigerated) in beef or anchovy broth until they float and soften.
Season with soup soy sauce and garlic.
Garnish with egg ribbons, gim strips and scallion; add mandu for tteok-manduguk.

Good to know

Rice cakes turn to mush if boiled too long — they're done the moment they float and yield.

'How many bowls of tteokguk have you eaten?' is a traditional way of asking someone's age.

Nutrition

Calories	84 kcal
Carbohydrate	16.37 g
Protein	3.43 g
Fat	0.53 g
Sodium	176 mg

Per serving (~700g): ≈588 kcal · sodium ≈1,232 mg (62% of the WHO daily guideline, 2,000 mg)

Per 100g · total serving 700g · Official data: National Integrated Food Nutritional Information Standard Data (Korea MFDS) (DB item: 떡국, synced 2026-07-17). Values vary by recipe and portion.