Revealing The Secrets of Tteok

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Contents

D efine

What is Tteok and how does it taste like? Something to Tteok about

Let’s go find Tteok’s secrets

D iscover

日 光

5 8

10

Tteok is Sharing

15

Tteok is Art

22

Tteok is Memories

19

Tteok is Science

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Tteok is a Footprint of Nature

34

Tteok is Nourishing Dessert

D evelop

31

Solutions to popularize Tteok

37

To Conclude

46

References

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To FROS, other solutions to take into account

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Acknowledgements We would like to express our deep gratitude to LG group for organizing the LG Global Challenger competition. The competition was a great occasion for us to explore Korean culture more as foreign students and also provided us an opportunity to meet with a lot of people from different backgrounds, through which, we learnt and improved ourselves to become more professional and efficient at work. Participating in this competition was a great preparation step for our transition from school to work. In addition, we would like to express our very great appreciation to all the LG employees for their patient guidance and enthusiastic encouragement during our trip. Our sincere thanks also go to Mr.Yoon Wooseop for his enthusiasm and assistance when we were at Songcheon Tteok village, Mr. Park Hoseong and Mr. Kwon Soondong who provided us an opportunity to visit their company, Jaiso. Our grateful thanks are also extended to Mr. Kim Yongcheol, Mr Kim Kyusuk, Professor Park Jiyong as well as Professor Yoon Sookja, Mrs. Yoo Hyejeong for their insightful comments for our interviews. We thank our friends and families for their continuous support and lastly, our sincere thanks should be given to our four members for their stimulating discussions, for the sleepless nights we were working together before deadlines, and for all the fun we have had during the trip.

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Define

What is Tteok and how does it taste like? Something to Tteok about

Let’s go find Tteok’s secrets

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What is Tteok? And how does it taste like? I was looking for souvenirs for my friends during the trip in Korea and another friend of mine suggested me this Korean traditional rice cakes. It was exactly what I was looking for. I loved that idea because the rice cakes are so pretty and colorful. It looks very traditional but also not expensive. In my country, there is something with similar taste like rice cakes but it is not as pretty as these rice cakes; so I think people will like it! Dang Ha Linh (Vietnam)

Oh ! I just knew that it’s the same thing that I’d tried in Budaejjigae? The sticky one. I just found out that there’re many kinds of Tteok not just only the spicy one Taechamahamongkol Paewa (Thailand)

I never had something like this before! I think people in my country will like it Amarjargal Anujin (Mongolia)

I feel exactly like I was chewing a chewing gum…the kind of gum that is very sticky and melts in your mouth so that you can swallow it. That’s exactly how it feels but actually the taste is not that nice. Daniela Grudinschi (Finland)

It tastes weird…like from another planet. It’s like I’m eating a sponge. Saul Klemola (Finland)

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TO FROS

“ I think Tteok is a meaningful food. We do have rice cake like Tteok in Thailand but there’s no special meaning in it or particular occasion to eat. “

“ We do not have Tteok in Mongolia but I am thinking should it be a good idea to promote Tteok as Korean traditional snack to foreigners? ”

“ I know that different kinds of tteok have different meanings. Though, I am curious about all the messages of tteok “

“ It is called rice cake; so are all types of Tteok made from rice? ”

To Foreigners Apparently, the impression of foreigners about Tteok is not the same from people to people. For visitors from Europe or America, Tteok can be considered as the strangest textural food ever for them. It is chewy like gum but dense and heavy like dough. Many of them have mixed feeling about rice cakes. On the other hand, people from Asian countries where rice is the main ingredient in their cuisine, they are attracted by the colorfulness and light sweetness of Tteok. According to a survey conducted by The Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, among 810 foreigners who visited Korea in 2014.

The survey showed that Tteok was not listed as famous Korean food among foreigners. It is obvious that Tteok is promoted not as much as than Bibimbap or bulgogi. Many foreigners might know well about Tteokbokki but not many of them have heard of Tteok culture. Even the name “rice cake” does not well represent the nature of Tteok. It gives impression of Tteok basically being a kind of Asian cake made from rice. Therefore, for people that never encounter with Tteok-similar-food before, they expect Tteok to be soft and spongy like cake or bread, not some chewy texture like gum. Overall, Tteok and its culture need to be presented to the world properly.

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To Koreans While Tteok is liitle unknown to foreigners, it has always presented in the most significance and sacred position on almost every special occasions and events of Koreans. From the day a baby turns 100-day-old to weddings, birthdays, funerals or the anniversary of ancestors’ death, each event is marked with a different type of Tteok. One can say that a Korean is not considered as real Korean if he does not try any piece of Tteok during his life. In general, Tteok has a very special position in Koreans’ life. And like any other traditional element, Tteok has gone through a long history of development and transition.

Transition of Tteok

Before 57 BC

57 BC to 668 AD

918–1392 AD

1392–1897 AD

After 1900 AD

Before the era of Three Kingdoms Most scholars believe that even before the establishment of the Three Kingdoms, tribe people already made and ate Tteok. At that time, Tteok was made mainly with grains using various rudimental tools such as stone grinder (갈판과 갈돌) and steamer (시루), which have been excavated as proofs of these era. The period of Three Kingdoms and United Silla Starting from small tribes, ancient Three Kingdoms kingdoms were established with an agricultural industry engaged in rice farming. The use of ironware agricultural equipment boosted the productivity of rice farming; thus, Tteok made from rice was also introduced. The united Silla came with robust of commerce as the living conditions became more and more stable. Tteok culture also developed and became to be diverse. People not only created different types of Tteok using seasonal products but also started to use Tteok in rituals, holidays and various events. Koryo Dynasty Koryo Dynasty marked the prosperity of Buddhism. The Buddhist concept of harmonizing between people and nature led people to vegetarian diet. Hence, diversified materials were used to make Tteok as well as its culinary method and ingredient Joseon Dynasty At the time of Joseon Dynasty, the development of agricultural techniques and culinary methods also caused the diversity of types and tastes of Tteok. By the end of this period, free commerce was legally set up, leading to a thrive market for lots of products including Tteok. The modern time Since the late nineteenth century, Korean society saw a remarkable change. The history of Tteok also turned to a new chapter. Tteok, for a long time, has been not only Koreans’ favorite snack but also a substitute for rice; now, is in a brink of being replaced by the western bread. Moreover, the new shift lifestyle refrains people from making Tteok at home. Tteok is made and sold aminly at store or by big companies; thus, narrowing down the variety of Tteok to that can be manufactured in large quantity.

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Something To Tteok About In the modern Korean society, Tteok is considered a must-eat food on special occasions but paradoxically, people do not crave for it once the holidays end.

Problems and Situations

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Change of consumers’ taste

Scales of Tteok and bakery market Unit : billion won

Since latter part of 19 century, bakery was introduced into Korean society. Over few decades, development of baking technique created a great opportunity for bakery market expanded with variety of products that can satisfy a wide range of customers’ tastes. On the other hand, Tteok industry shows slow reaction toward customers’ need. The industry prefers to stay in its small scale. In fact, more than 80% of Tteok companies have no more than 5 emth

ployees. Tteok industry remains less competitive compare to bakery’s.

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Change of social values

The modern lifestyle makes Tteok to become ‘take-out’ food. In the past, usually females in the house like mothers or daughters made Tteok at home. However, with the amelioration of women’s status in the society, instead of making Tteok at home, people prefer to buy it from the store.

Source : Korea Rural Development Administration, Financial Supervisory Service

Moreover, Tteok making requires culinary skills and time. Not many people, nowadays, are able to make Tteok at home due to their busy schedules. Hence, they prefer something simple and common like bread over Tteok.

Tteok at home

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Shot shelf-life

There is an urgent need for advance in storing technique in order for Tteok to be mass produced. Compared to bread, Tteok is easier to be spoiled. Normally, Tteok is made early in the morning and sold within one day; otherwise, it will become stiffed and lose its taste. This creates a big disadvantage for Tteok business.

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The reason of decreasing in making

3.9% 15% 37.3% 16.1%

22%

Lack of awareness about Tteok

Tteok has a long history but as the lifestyle becomes more modern, people, especially young generation, start to forget more about Tteok. Instead of remembering Tteok’s significant meaning, people consider it as a dish to eat on holidays. Especially, in the city, young people think of Tteok as a food of old days. They do not find it valuable anymore.

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Tteok is not common

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Lack of specialized personnel

Total of bakery and Tteok franchise (unit : place)

The number of bread franchise outnumbers Tteok’s. Therefore, it is hard for Korean people and also tourists to find a Tteok store. If there are more of Tteok franchise store, Tteok could become more generalized.

Bakery

Tteok

One of the most alarming situations that Tteok business must face off is the lack of specialized personnel. One must acknowledge that there are bakery related majors at schools but no school officially has a major related to Tteok making. Most of people working in Tteok business learnt outside schools, directly from their own bosses at stores and many of them are not certificated also.

The need for improving people’s awareness about Tteok in Korean society 1. Tteok is the traditional food of Korea Even though Kimchi or Bulgogi is now a representative dish of Korea, Tteok has been presenting in Korean history since long long time ago. This farinaceous food could not be exempted from almost all rituals, special occasions in Korea and maybe started appearing since the day people knew how to cultivate rice. Therefore, in the future, Tteok could be promoted to the world as a typical Korean food.

2. Tteok holds in itself feelings and culture of Koreans Tteok has been developing along with Korean ethnic since long time ago. It went through ups and downs of Korean history, went along with each Korean from their 100-day-old, first birthday, wedding, 60-year-old anniversary until their funeral. It is can be said that Tteok holds inside it joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure (희로애락) of every Korean. Overall, Tteok has a very special role in Korean culture.

3. Tteok is a new trend in consumption The new sensation of well-being food has put Tteok in the spotlight again. As people are concerned more about unhealthy factors of fast-food, they turned back to ‘slow food’ and one of the representatives of traditional ‘slow food’ is Tteok. With whole grain as the main ingredient and sub-ingredient like fruits, nuts; Tteok is full of nutrients, carbohydrates, essential amino acids and vitamins.

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Let’s go find Tteok’s Secrets!

Team’s Name

“FROS” comes from “forever remember our story” which is our spirit when we formed our team. In English, “-fro” means “back”. Since long time ago, Tteok has a close relation with Korean society and history. During the trip, we wish to visit several regions where different kinds of Tteok originated and reveal the secrets of Tteok!

Team’s Members

Rachata Soranakom

“Tteok is more than just food. It tastes good and also has an interesting story.” I am 22 years old and I come from Thailand. With the opportunity of being a LG Global Challenger, I want to learn everything about Tteok; from ingredients and making process to the meanings and stories behind it. After that, I will raise people’s awareness about the beauty of Tteok through SNS.

Anujin Baatarnyam

“We found the future of Tteok’s globalization.” I am a 24-year-old graduate student from Mongolia. While studying in Korea, I grew interest in Korean culture, history, economy and society. Thus, my objective is to use the knowledge I gain in Korea to establish a pioneer business. With LG Global Challenger. I was not only able to challenge myself but also learn a bunch of things about Korean society.

Nguyen Phuong Dung

“It would be nice if I could learn more about Korean culture through Tteok.” I am an inquisitive student from Vietnam. I believe I not only have to learn the language but also explore the country in order to discover more about Korean customs and traditions. Through my journey as a LG Global Challenger I learnt more about Korean traditional rice cakes and so got a few steps closer to my goals of discovering Korean customs and traditions.

Sabina Grudinschi

“Tteok is a healthy version of a delicious dessert with an interesting texture and a robust taste.” I am a 24-year-old Romanian Finnish undergraduate student. As a LG Global Challenger and also a lover of desserts, I was looking forward to learn more about the interesting Korean traditional rice cakes, and I am fortunate to say that I was able to find a healthy version of dessert

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Team’s Goals

1

Study about geographical factors that affects Tteok’s ingredients.

With the diversity of Korea geography, different ingredients are used to make Tteok. This feature leads to variety of Tteoks with distinct shapes or tastes different from regions to regions. During the trip, we wish to visit numerous regions in Korea to experience the difference in their geographic and how these geographical factors affect the method of making Tteok.

2

Reveal the secrets of Tteok.

The difference in ingredients and process of making, gives Tteok has a different characteristics, such as, tastes, scent, colors, and textures. We believe that Tteok holds inside it a lot of interesting secrets that not only foreigners but also young generations of Koreans do not know about. Hence, the trip gives us the chance to go and meet with people who work in the Tteok industry and by interviewing them, we can find the secrets of Tteok.

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Find the solution to raise awareness about Tteok.

The information that we gather from the trip helps us figuring out the problems of Tteok’s consumption. We hope that with the information and the secrets that we find, we can come up with some solutions to help raising people’s awareness about Tteok. As Koreans start to pay attention more about their own traditional snack, it would be easier for Tteok to become globalized.

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Visited organizations and companies

1

Songcheon Tteok Village

Discover the suitable ingredients of Gangwon-do province (potatoes and buckwheat) that used to make Tteok and learning about the original methods of making Tteok

2

Café Jaiso and headquarter

Learning about the fusion Tteok and people’s preferences in taste nowadays. Discover what is required to have a successful Tteok company

3

Korean Traditional Tteok Globalization Association

Learn how Tteok can be exported to other countries, the ways that Tteok has been promoted.

4

Institute of Korean Traditional Food

Learn the history and the origin of Tteok, how Tteok has been promoted to the world as a traditional food and visit Tteok museum.

Total

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ORGANIZATIONS

5

11 10 DAYS

2

COMPANIES

NIGHTS

3

ACTIVITIES

2

Insa-dong and Daehakro

Do survey about which quality of Tteok that people, nowadays, are looking for.

VILLAGES

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6

Myeong-dong

Promote and share Tteok in the shopping streets and raising people’s awareness of the Tteok as well as introduce Tteok to tourists.

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Hamyang Watermill Tteok Village

Through making different kinds of Tteoks (Songpyeon and Injeolmi), learn about the healthy and natural ingredients of Tteok.

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Jeonju Hanok Village

Promote and spread the joy of sharing Tteok

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Soltiae Tteok

Study on online marketing of Tteok and learning about how mosi, the ingredient grown in the province, is used for the taste and the preservation of Tteok

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Moksan Craft Museum

Explore “Tteoksal” , a tool for imprinting different patterns on Tteok.

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Seogwipo Daily Olle Market

Explore the big market, try the two specialities of the island, omaegi Tteok and bing Tteok and discovering the special ingredients used for making Tteok (red bean, flour and radish)

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Discover

日 光

Sun

represents the energy source, meaning what tteok holds inside it

Light

is given by Sun to illuminate the surface of Earth, meaning the fruit of tteok to people

Tteok is Sharing

Tteok is Memories Tteok is Art

Tteok is Science

Tteok is Nourishing Dessert

Tteok is a Footprint of Nature

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Tteok is Sharing 떡은나눔이다

Everyone who knows about Tteok also perceives that sharing is a part of tteok

culture. From the past, women in a same village gathered together to make tteok . That was the time when they not only exchanged stories with their neighbors but also shared good time by helping each other. Or, when a person moves to a new place, traditionally, she brings Sirutteok (시루떡) to each neighbor’s house to greet them. Although, the swift modern lifestyle refrains people from maintain these old traditions, Koreans still preserve the sharing culture in their families during holidays like eating Songpyeon together on Chuseok or mothers make Tteokguk (떡국) for family members on the first day of Lunar New Year.

FUN FACTS

Injeolmi’s history

“ Rice culture and Tteok culture are companions. Even though Tteok culture goes through stagnancy, tteok can never be disappeared. ” - Kim Yongcheol (Soltiae Tteok) -

During our trip learning about Tteok, we discovered the secret “Tteok is sharing”. Beyond the meaning of sharing a kind of food, sharing tteok symbolizes the generosity of Korean people. Each piece of tteok has inside the affection of people to people, the joy of a happy life as well as best wishes for each other. As we stopped by each destination in our itinerary and met with several people working in the tteok industry, we comprehend the sharing culture more. The secret “Tteok is sharing” particularly made its appeal to us after our visit to Songcheon Tteok village (송천떡마을) and Soltiae Tteok (솔티애떡).

It is told that during Joseon Dynasty period, when the Lee Kwangil’s rebellion happened, the King Injo (仁祖) had to flee. One day, when he was at the evacuation place in Banran, Hanyang, a farmer named Im made and offered the King a kind of tteok. The King tried and found it very delicious; but when he asked what was the name of this tteok, no one knew. Hence, in order to thank Im farmer for his generosity, King Injo combined ‘임’ from the farmer’s last name and ‘절미’ from rice saving to name the tteok ‘임절미’. Through time, people changed the name to ‘인절미’.

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Songcheon Tteok Village Q1: We heard that Gangwon-do is famous for tteok made from potatoes?

Yes, that is right. Potato tteok can be viewed as specialty of Gangwon region since the geography here is in favor for cultivation of potatoes to rice cultivation. Normally, we harvest potatoes in May and June; then, make potato tteok in summer.

Q2: The rice used to make tteok in the experience (인절미 and 찹쌀떡 making experience) was cultivated in this village? Yes, we use rice cultivated by our villagers because it can help booster our regional

economy. Moreover, we use the environmental friendly farming technique to raise our agricultural products; so, the ingredients to make tteok here are safe and healthy.

Q3: How do you decide the stock for each day? What will you do with leftover tteok?

We have a fix quantity for each day. Since all the ladies who work here (The tteok making experience Center) have much experience in tteok making, they can estimate the quantity of tteok we should make. If we are short of tteok, they will start making more around 2 or 3pm. And in case we have leftover tteok, we will divide it to other villagers since the tteok sold here at the village are made by them. Or, for alternative solution, we freeze it and donate to humanitarian organizations that in turn, will give away to people in need. We call that program “Food bank”(음식은행)

Songcheon Tteok village is located in Songcheon valley in Yangyang, Gangwon-do, just two hours by bus from Seoul. This was the first destination of our trip. At here, we participated in the tteok making experience for Injeolmi (인절미) and Chapssaltteok (찹쌀떡)

Q4: We are curious about the reason why Songcheon Tteok village was established. Was it because the tteok in this region is famous?

No, the reason was not that. The main reason to establish this system (village community run and provide agricultural activities and Tteok sale for tourists) was because of the living of villagers. Before, female villagers besides working on the fields, usually go to nearby beaches to sell Tteok. Tourists liked tteok made from our village but since the ladies did business individually, it was not easy for them to make a living. Therefore, we came up with the idea of applying the Tteok village system. In this way, all the villagers can participate and the income will be divided to them, supporting them financially. Right now, we are having a plan to expand this system by making an amalgamation with three other villages.

Check Point

Yoon Wooseop Representative of Songcheon Tteok Village

Villagers take part in tteok making process at the Center of village and all the income from selling tteok will be divided to them. Agricultural products cultivated and harvested by villagers are used to make tteok or sold at the Center. The main reason for the formation of Songcheon tteok village was to support the villagers financially. 16

Soltiae Tteok Village

Soltiae Tteok Village Soltiae Tteok Village is situated in Jeongeup, Jeonbuk. This village has been established for around 35 years with the great contribution of five brothers from Kim family by founding the village community of Ramie (모시풀, an abundant fiber crop in this region). Soltiae Tteok village is not only known for its Ramie Tteok but also for the generosity of people here. This was the first village enterprise in Korea that donate a part of its profit for senior citizen pension. We went to Soltiae Tteok village and met with Kim Yongcheol, the elder brother among five founders of this village.

Q1: What do you use as ingredients of Tteok? We use all the agricultural products that are harvested in our village such as ramie, mulberry, raspberry… The most famous Tteok is Ramie Tteok. We grow Ramie plants, harvest the leaves and after processing them, we make Ramie Tteok and sell Tteok online or at the store here.

Kim Yongcheol CEO of Soltiae Tteok

Q2: How did you first start establishing the community here? What is Tteok to you? Tteok is my life. Tteok is sharing. One special characteristic of Tteok culture is sharing affection and care for each other by offering Tteok to people in same neighborhood. I have been in this Tteok industry for so long and one valuable lesson for me is that “It is better to work together than alone”. Therefore, me and my brothers united together to build this village. We did it for ourselves and also for other people in the village. Through Tteok, I wanted to share hope with others. My motto is through communication and sharing, we will make our village become not only a successful village enterprise but also a happy village. That is why, I decided to use a part of our profit to donate to each over 80-year-old senior who has been living in this village for 20 years 100,000 KRW per month.

Ramie has been grown in the village used as a main ingredient for colorize tteok.

Q3: What is your dream for the future? I wish to make my village well-known even in abroad. This is not a task that I can do alone; so I need all the helps available from residents and administrative organism.

Check Point

Ramie tteok is specialty of Soltiae Tteok village Sharing a part of profit by donating to senior residents of the village.

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Words cannot fully describe what we felt during those interviews. The enthusiasm of the interviewees and the ambience of the talks that we experienced help us realize that “Tteok is sharing”; not purely sharing a piece of food but sharing the love, sharing the burden, sharing the hope. When a grandmother gives a piece of tteok to her grandchild the day before the SAT exam, she shares with her grandchild the worry before a big turn in life and also her wishes for her grandchild a best future ahead. When a mother offers her children a piece of Songpyeon, the crescent shaped tteok has in it smiles of her happy family members. For rural denizens like villagers at Songcheon and Soltiae, tteok has deeper meaning than for urban residents like us. Tteok is not only the materialized symbol of a successful harvest, of their hard work but also represents the empathy of the neighborhood to each other. Tteok unified peole in the villages to share financial burden for each other and when their worries are lessen, they still continue to share tteok to help others who are in need. The Sharing factor of tteok culture best illustrates the distinct human affection 정 in Korean culture: sharing love and warmth not only to family members but also to neighbors.

Having these thoughts in mind, our team, FROS, wanted to remind people about this beautiful and meaningful feature of tteok culture. Therefore, we organized “Tteok sharing activity” three times during our trip. First destination was at Myeongdong, Seoul. We walked across crowded streets of this notable shopping area and shared Tteok to both Koreans and foreigners. While Koreans seemed to enjoy Tteok, few foreigners hesitated to try but after we explained to them the sharing culture, they were very happy to eat Tteok. The second activity happened in Jeonju, a city rich with culture and tradition. We went around all corners of the traditional Hanok village, offered Tteok to people in the street while wearing Hanbok. We not only acknowledged people about the Tteok culture but also brought to them traditional feeling. For the third time, we tried to do something unusual by sharing Tteok in airplane. We gave Tteok to the flight crew as a thank you gesture for their hard work. Everyone participated actively in all our three activities; even we were the one who shared Tteok but other people were the ones who shared joy to us.

Myeongdong

Jeonju

Flight crew

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Tteok is Memories 떡은추억이다

Have you ever notice that no Korean refuses when he or she is offered tteok? What makes tteok a hard-to-rejected food? The answer lays on the next secret that we found: “Tteok is Memories” Everyone has unforgettable childhood. Although different people have different childhoods but we all have memories about family, friends, holidays and food. For Koreans, one of the first traditional food that they encounter is tteok. Whether growing up in the city or countryside, each Korean must have at least one memory about tteok; maybe it was their 100-day-anniversary with Baekseolgi or maybe it was simple honey tteok (꿀떡) that their mothers purchased from market or some glutinous tteok (찹쌀떡) made and sent by their grandmother from a countryside. No matter which kind of tteok it is, memories about tteok are all linked with love. For that reason, whenever a Korean sees tteok, it calls out a familiar image in them.

“Our Tteok should be the next traditional food to follow the globalization of Kimchi.” Professor Yoon Sookja

Meeting with a lot people working in the tteok industry, we realized that their love with tteok takes root in their memories with tteok since they were young. For example, Mr.Park Ho Sung, the young CEO of Jaiso company confessed that tteok was his life since he grew up learning making tteok. We also had chance to meet with two first students of Dr. Kang Inhee, renowned expert about Korean traditional cuisine. Her students too are professionals who have been working and studying about tteok for more than 30 years. One is Professor Yoon Sookja who is currently running the Institute of traditional Korean food and teaching about traditional cookery at Baehwa Women’s University. The other is Mrs. Kim Myeongsoon who is the owner of tteok store named “Rice cake Aesthetics (떡의 미학)”

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The institute of traditional Korean food Q1: What do you think as definition of Tteok to Koreans? Korean people have been eating tteok since long time ago. Tteok is there when we are happy or when we are sad, on the day we are born to our funeral day. We even have a proverb that “밥 먹는 배가 따로 있고 떡 먹는 배가 따 로 있다” (there is a stomach for rice and another for tteok). This shows how much we love Tteok.

Q2: Then what is tteok to you? I can never forget the image of my mother who waited for me every day at home when I came back from school. She opened the door for me with a dish of Tteok. In her hands. “This is Tteok from your grandmother’s birthday” or “the neighbor just gave us Tteok” she said. Me, with my stomach growling, relished the Tteok . My mother also told me a lot of stories about Tteok; so I started to like Tteok. I studied about Tteok and became professor, teaching about Tteok to my students. For me, Tteok is pictures of my old days: memories of my mother, my students and my hometown.

Q3: What do you think about the fact that people do not eat Tteok as usually as before? Even though Tteok has been loved by Koreans for its excellence but in the modern society with increasingly rapid pace of life and introduction ofbakery from Western culture, Tteok’s usage has been limited to holidays and special events.

Q4: Is it possible to globalize tteok as traditional food? I agree that it is necessary to promote and export tteok to the world as a Korean traditional food but before that, we need to inform people about the excellences of tteok. Once tteok become standardize in Korea, it will naturally become well-known worldwide.

Professor Yoon Sookja

Director of Insitute of Traditional Korean Food and Professor, Department of Traditional Cuisine Baewha Women’s College

Tteok Museum run by Professor Yoon Sookja provide general information about all kinds of Tteok and whole tteok culture. Also Tteok making experience.

Check Point Tteok needs to be standardize before globalized. Tteok has correlation to childhood memories.

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Rice Cake Aesthetics (떡의미학) We visited the tteok shop Rice Cake Aesthetics in Yeonhee-dong, Seoul since this place is known for making tteok in traditional method and by hand. At the store, although we could not meet with the owner, Mrs. Kim Myeongsoon, we had a talk with her niece, Mrs. Yoo Hyejeong, who is preparing to inherit the store.

Q1: The store is decorated in a very unique way. Does the decoration have any relation with the store’s name?

We wanted to show that here is not only a place to sell Tteok but rather a place rich of culture and tradition. Since nowadays, many people know how to make bread but not many know how to make our traditional Tteok; we decorated the shop with the tools used to make Tteok such as wooden motar, Tteok molds… Our store’s name is 떡의 미학 with 미(味) means taste and 학(學) means studies; “constantly study about the essential taste of food” is the whole meaning.

Q2: For what reason did the owner decide to do Tteok business?

Mrs.Yoon Hyejeong Store manager

FUN FACTS

My aunt got her love for Tteok from her mother. My grandmother loved to cook and she always made Tteok for her children. My aunt was into traditional culinary and started learning about it from the famous Dr. Kang Inhee. Dr. Kang lived in Incheon but my aunt lives here, in Seoul. So, every day, she traveled to Incheon to learn about cookery.

Q3: Why did you choose to follow the old method, making Tteok by hand? In Korea, there is a saying 불광불급(不狂不及) “If you want to make something remarkable, you have to be crazy about it”. When we make food, we extend ourselves to the utmost, preparing the food both delicious and beautiful like our ancestors did. We like to follow the traditional method since all the ingredients used in the store are from nature. We start working from 2 in the morning and finish until 6pm; compared to other stores, the works here is five times harder but every time we see the satisfaction on our clients’ faces, we are very proud of our work.

Check Point

Changes of Duteoptteok

In the past, Duteoptteok (두텁떡) was one of the food for King on his birthday but now, it is mostly used as gift from the bride to her husband’s family.

The owner’s love for tteok came from her mother. Tteok are made completely by hand using traditional method.

This piece of art is actually made from dried tteok. Mrs. Kim Myeongsoon received it from her classmate who is also a student of Dr. Kang Inhee. Before, in noble families, real flowers were not used to decorate the dinner table since they believed that flower scent could ruin food’s smell. For this reason, decorative flowers were made from dried tteok. 21

Tteok is Art 떡은예술이다

Although a lot of people think of Tteok as a regular snack, making Tteok has been flourishing into a form of art. As Koreans have an adage “보기 좋은 떡이 먹기도 좋다”, the appearance of Tteok is considered as important as its taste. Along with the development of Tteok’s recipes, ancient Koreans also paid attention to improve the decorating techniques. One very well-known technique is Tteok imprinting in which wooden blocks with different designs are pressed on the rice dough to create various patterns. Designs range from simple lines or circles, flowers, fish, butterfly to complex geometric patterns such as arabesque, chilbomun (칠보문), paragon, cloud, pomegranate, lotus, chrysanthemum, folk painting (민화문), teakukmun (태극문), gridiron (석쇠문) or auspicious signs, etc. For the fifth day of the fifth month of the year according to lunar calendar (단오 날), people prefer the cartwheel pattern (수레문양) or fish pattern; but for feasts, flower, auspicious signs and geometrical patterns are chosen.

Flower patterns : lotus flower, chrysanthemum flower and strawberry flowers

“There is an opinion that since rice must be eaten with side dishes (반찬) but tteok can be consumed after steaming; for that reason, tteok was the nucleus of our culinary.” - Kim Kyusuk -

When being given as gift to parents or close friends, Tteok with the imprinting of luck are often selected. Thus, among all other Korean food, there is hardly anything that could fit into both casual and formal concepts like Tteok. Overall, the patterns all pursuit the same principle: 벽사기복 (辟邪祈福) which means repulsing evil and praying for good fortune; but one small change in the design can change the meaning or the conveyed message that Tteok has with it. It can be said that Tteok has its own language expressed through patterns carved in wooden blocks. Tteok’s imprinting is the symbol of the aesthetics in Korean culinary as well as the combination of insight and esthetic sense of Korean ancestors.

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Moksan Craft Museum (목산공예관) Tteok imprinting is one essential element that could not be missed while studying about Tteok. Therefore, we went to Moksan Craft Museum (목산공예관) in Damyang to pay a visit to Kim Kyu suk, a scholar about Korean traditional food and Tteok imprinting. Mr. Kim has been spending more than 40 years to study about this form of art. He is also known for being the person with the biggest collection of Tteoksal or Tteok molds (떡살) and honey cake molds (다식판). From the visit with him, we learnt much about the traditional and esthetic side of Tteok.

Q1: First of all, could you introduce the art of Tteok imprinting a little bit? For me, the viviparity of Korean food is Tteok and among all types of Tteok, only Jeolpyeon can be used for imprinting. Jeolpyeon is one kind of steam-

ing Tteok. Usually, in the past, during the Lunar New Year holidays, beside Tteokguk (떡국), people also made and ate Jeolpyeon in round or long shape with patterns. In Korea, we have a tradition of eating and sharing Jeolpyeon during the first month of the lunar year (정월). Looking at the patterns on the Jeolpyeon, you can know much about his family; that is why, Jeolpyeon was also a secret way to boast about your family’s class. Moreover, people used different patterns for differents occasions.

Q2: Are there numerous patterns and each has a distinguish meaning?

Yes, that is right. If you study about Tteoksal, you can understand the meaning of each Jeolpyeon just by looking at its pattern. The sawtooth pattern (거치문) means wealth, honors, prosperity. Chrysanthemum or fish, crane, turtle, deer, peach represent longevity; wave for royal; bat for the five blessings (longevity, wealth, health, love of virtue, peaceful death); auspicious sign for everything go smoothly as wish; lotus for blessing and Elysian field, grapes for wealth and prosperity of descendants, pomegranate for fecundity, etc. There are also letter patterns such as wealth (부귀-富貴), son (남 -男), good fortune (복-福), longevity (수 -壽), safety and health(강-康 or 영-寧),

Q3: Then Jeolpyeon is only consumed in special occasions? Even though steaming Tteok are becoming more and more well-known, making Jeolpyeon requires a lot of hard works. Hence, people usually eat Jeolpyeon during holidays or special events. We, Koreans, also have an idiom “떡 본김에 제사 지낸다”. This idiom describes well the fact that Jeolpyeon is used only in the four ceremonial occasions of coming of age, wedding, funeral, and ancestral rites (관혼상제)

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Q4: Since you have been working with the Tteoksal for more than 40 years, is there any pattern that you created? The more I study about Tteoksal, the more I understand how hard it is to create a new pattern. Sometimes, I made a pattern that I took by mistake that it is never been made before but then, I discovered after that a similar pattern has been used during Koryo dynasty period. That is why I think that instead of creating a brand new pattern, I just mend the old patterns in order to make it fit for new era.

Q5: Tteoksal is a very complicated form of art. As a professional, what do you think as solution to make young generation become interested in this form of art? Tradition is not something you can forcefully transfer from one generation to the next. The life of any traditional trait depends on the society: if the society thinks that it is needed to maintain the tradition then it will be passed on but if the society decides that it is not needed then, that tradition goes extinct. Human and time are the best judges for which tradition should be passed on and which is not.

Kim Kyusuk Moksan Craft Museum

Q6: What do you think should be the best plan for the development of tteok culture in the future?

First, we must acknowledge the variety of developmental pathways for Tteok: commercialization or keeping with the tradition or making Tteok into art or generalization of low priced Tteok. If it is possible, we should combine all those pathways into one genuine solution. However, the solution that I am in favor for is keeping the traditional side of Tteok. Keeping the tradition in the center and making it the base for other developments.

Check Point

Depends on what kind of ceremonies, Tteoksal patterns with different meanings are chosen differently. Tradition should be kept in the center in developmental plan for tteok in the future.

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Café Jaiso Mr. Kim Gyuseok is not the only person who cares about the aesthetics of Tteok. Working with the new “generation” of Tteok, Fusion Tteok, Mr.Kwon Soon Dong, representative of café Jaiso located in Gangnam-gu Seoul, talked with us about the importance of tteok’s decoration in the modern time.

Q1: We’ve heard that café Jaiso was the first place that did fusion Tteok? After learning the technique of making Tteok, the two brothers who own this company decided to start their own fusion Tteok business online. And then, people got to know about fusion Tteok through TV programs about the company. As fusion Tteok became more and more well-known, our CEOs opened this café Jaiso to sell fusion Tteok.

Q2: There are many kinds of new tteok sold in the café. Our target customers are mostly mothers at their 20s, 30s. Nowadays, instead of eating Tteok on the daily basis, people mostly consume Tteok on special occasions like one hundredth day celebration for babies or weddings. For thoses ceremonies, our customers look for products that have pretty appearance and small size. That is why, here, at the café, we decorate fusion Tteok in keeping with customers’ demand.

Q3: What makes fusion tteok different from traditional tteok? The biggest difference that set fusion Tteok apart from traditional ones is its visual effect. People go to famous restaurants because they have psychological curious about what those places can show them. They want to take photos of food and talk about it on SNS. Thus, we personally think that appearance is one essential factor.

Q4: What do you think of Koreans’ awareness about Tteok? I once had a chance to talk with middle and high school students. When I asked them “What is Tteok?” they answered me that Tteok is vice-principal (교감 선생님) to them. They can go to the bakery 4-5 times a week but not a single time to Tteok store, even during one year. For me, I think Tteok stores are too shabby, too traditional and not fashionable for them. There is a concept in Korea that old people go to Tteok stores and youths go to bakery. Therefore, in order to change that concept, our company wants to set up a beautiful and stylish Tteok store.

“It takes time to make delicious food and also, Tteok should be consumed right after it was made because after a while, it loses its softness. For those reasons, we make tteok directly at the café though it is time-consuming. “ - Kwon Soondong -

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Q5: There is an opinion that fusion tteok could be the solution for tteok’s development in the future. What do you think of fusion tteok’s future? I do not think that young generation do not like Tteok. They like it but the problem is they do not buy Tteok. If the fusion Tteok market expand, young Koreans will be more interested in buying Tteok. We are now developing fusion Tteok in several ways. We try to make Tteok so that even busy customers can easily buy and eat as snack or breakfast. I think the future of fusion Tteok is bright.

Check Point

Young generation like tteok but do not buy it since they consider tteok as old fashioned. Fusion tteok’s strong point is visual effect.

As the living conditions ameliorate and food is not scarce anymore,

people care more about the decoration of food. Our team did a survey with young Koreans in Daehakro, a famous spot where youths gather. 8 among 13 people participated in our survey agreed that appearance of Tteok was the deciding factor when they choose an unfamiliar Tteok. For

that reason, we think that in the development plan of Tteok in the future, studying about the esthetics of Tteok is an essential feature that cannot be left out. Making Tteok was considered as a form of art in the past but during the stagnant period of Tteok, as Tteok became mainly made by machines, people started to forget about the aesthetic side of Tteok.

Raising Koreans’ interest about the traditional patterns used Tteok

imprinting could be regarded as one solution. Since design is one of the

strong points of Koreans, modernization of those patterns for application in design or applied arts can draw people’s interest back to the traditional

ones. Succession of tradition does not need to cling to the olds without changing; succession must come with development.

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Tteok is Science 떡은과학이다

During the trip, we visited café Jaiso and also its factory where Tteok is made before being delivered to the café and met with the CEO. Through his talk, we learnt about the difficulty that Tteok industry must face with.

Q1: What is the difficultiy that you encounter with when you make Tteok? The most difficult problem with Tteok is expiration date. Tteok has shorter shelf life than bread since it can become stiff overnight or even after few hours being left outside. I can say that shelf life is the big worry for us.

Q2: Do you have any plan to export tteok? I do but the supplement process is still a problem for our company. Since tteok cannot be produced straightaway abroad, we need to freeze it before exporting. Even though, tteok is freezed, it should be consumed before expiration date. The expiration date problem restricts tteok from being exported to far away.

Park Ho Seong CEO, Café Jaiso

Q3: Did you find any solution to expand the shelf life of Tteok? I have not found an appropriate solution but at our café, using the oven to heat some types of Tteok can help expand the expiration date for few more days.

Check Point

Tteok is easily to become stiff No appropriate solution is found to expand the shelf life of tteok

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From the talk with the CEO and with other people from Tteok villages, we became aware of the problem in preservation of Tteok. It is obvious that after just few hours being left at room temperature, Tteok becomes stiff and starts lose it softness. In addition, most types of Tteok cannot be preserved for more than 2 days. This phenomenon can be explained scientifically as starch retrogradation process.

Retrogradation

Retrogradation is a phenomenon that makes product of starch such as rice, bread and Tteok become stiff due to the reassociation of starch chains by hydrogen bond to form a rigid complex

Lots of align structure makes Tteok get stiff

Staling Reheating

Fresh Tteok

The linear of amylose molecules start reassociation by aligning and crystalizing their structures

Stale Tteok

The main ingredient of Tteok is rice, a major source of starch. Chemically, starch consists of two types of molecules: branched amylopectin and linear amylose When Tteok is left at room temperature, the linear amylose rearrange themselves closer to the linear parts of amylopectin. Hydrogen bonds are formed between them, creating a more rigid structure of starch. For that reason, the texture of Tteok becomes stiff.

Amylopectin (Branched strucure)

Amylose (Linear strucure)

The structure of starch in Tteok Tteok made

almost

by glutinous rice

Amylopectin

Tteok made by nonglutinous rice

Amylopectin

Amylose

Hydrogen bond A chemical bond in which a hydrogen atom of one molecule is attracted to an electronegative atom, especially a nitrogen, oxygen, or fluorine atom, usually of an other molecule.

Since glutinous rice contains almost 100% amylopectin, the retrogradation process happens slower in food made by this type of rice. Tteok made with glutinous rice is, thus, resistant to become stiff. Meanwhile, tteok made from nonglutinous rice is easier to become stiff.

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To understand more about the retrogradation process, we visited Professor Park Jiyong who is teaching about food science at the Biotechnology department of Yonsei University. Mr. Park was also former president of Korean Society of Food Science and Technology (KoSFoST) in 2013.

Q1: In your opinion, which factor is causing difficulties for the preservation of Tteok? I think there are two main difficulties. First is microorganism. Since Tteok has high moisture and is full of nutrient, it is a perfect environment for microorganism. For this reason, Tteok is easy to be spoiled just in few days. The second one is starch retrogradation which causes the texture of Tteok to become stiff.

Q2: Can you explain the retrogradation process to us? Retrogradation is a normal process of amylose chains rearrangement. Right after you make Tteok, the amylose chains in the dough start to rearrange themselves and naturally create hydrogen bonds among them. This process results in a rigid matrix of amylose chains; so few hours after, Tteok becomes stale.

Q3: So, what could be good solution(s) to prevent retrogradation?

Professor Park Jiyong

Department of Biotechnology, Yonsei University

Right now, the best solution to prevent retrogradation is freezing Tteok. Low temperature will turn starch molecules into ice crystals and decreases the mobility of them, slowing down the rearrangement of amylose chains. Other solution includes adding fatty acid or using modified starch. Another modern method is waxy starch which contains 100% amylopectin. For starch, the ratio between amylose and amylopectin is very important. Normal starch has 25% to 30% amylose content but for waxy starch, retrogradation can be prevented.

Q4: But there might be a problem with the taste because waxy starch can be very chewy. What solution could you offer to Tteok companies for better preservation? Combining the two difficulties in preservation of Tteok, packaging is very important in order to extend the shelf life of Tteok. Air vacuum packaging and laminated film could be used but of course, the cost will also increase.

Check Point

Two challenges for tteok preservation process are microorganic spoilage and retrogradation. Solutions for those problems include keeping at low temperature, adding fatty acid or using waxy starch.

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Like many other food, Tteok can be examined under the microscope of science. Study about how molecules that make up Tteok behave can help us finding solutions to increase the shelf life of Tteok. Adding other ingredients can extend the expiration date for one or two more days. This method has been applying at Soltiae Tteok Village where they use ramie leaves as sub-ingredient for Tteok. In fact, the Ramie leaves’ chemical composition is a natural preservative that can prolong Tteok’s expiration date by 40%. On the other hand, at café Jaiso, the chef use other solution by baking Tteok in the oven. Starch retrogradation can be temporarily reversed by reheating in the oven. Now, there are not satisfactory solution for Tteok’s preservation but as we do more research about Tteok under scientific perspective, in the near future, we can find the answer.

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Tteok is Nourishing Dessert 떡은보약이다

Unlike western desserts such as breads, cakes and muffins that are eaten more and more by Koreans nowadays, Tteok is very nutritive, and it is a much healthier alternative to these wheat-based, fat and sugary snacks. Tteok do not contain any artificial additives, they’re essentially fat-free and can be made with very low amount or no added sugar. They also contain the most healthful ingredients, such as beans, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits and even herbal ingredients that are used in Korean and Chinese medicine. Therefore, Tteok is a very good source of essential nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

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2 3

Is Tteok truly healthy?

Although it is obvious that Tteok is healthier than the popular western desserts, many people are not fully convinced about the healthiness of Tteok. The fact, that the main ingredient is usually rice, perplexes people’s minds. There have been numerous debates on whether rice, more specifically white rice, is healthy or not. Even studies show contradictory results on it, so let’s see what are the two things that seem to make rice so problematic.

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4

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HUSK hard covering of the grain - inedible part - industrial uses

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When brown rice is milled, the grain of rice is refined by removing its outer layers, bran and germ, which are thought to contain most of the essential nutrients of rice. During the refining process most protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals are extracted from rice. For this reason, many people think of it as an empty carbohydrate that has low or no nutritional value.

BRAN : protection for the grain - fiber-rich - vitamins - minerals - antioxidants

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However, several studies show that brown rice can be more harmful for our bodies than white rice. Firstly, fiber, that bran is rich in, can irritate our gut and cause digestion

ENDOSPERM : energy for the grain - carbohydrates - some proteins - some B vitamins

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GERM : nourishment for the grain - photochemicals - proteins - vitamins

1. An empty source of energy

problems if eaten in excess. Moreover, the outer layers of rice store phytic acid which is considered as an anti-nutrient because it makes minerals less available to our bodies. And lastly, brown rice also contains higher levels of toxic arsenic than white rice.

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2. Glycemic index Glycemic index is used to measure how fast a particular food is digested and how it effects your blood sugar levels. The higher the glycemic index of a food is the faster it will be digested and the faster and higher it will raise blood sugar levels. For this reason, foods with low glycemic index are considered to be healthy as they prevent fat from being gained, control hunger, prevent heart disease etc. And white rice is a food with high glycemic index, for which reason people tend to fear it. However, most people do not know that in reality glycemic index value do not matter as much as it seems to do on paper. The glycemic index is only determined when the food is eaten in isolation on an empty stomach. This kind of situation is very unrealistic, because people usually eat rice with other foods that contain fat, protein or fiber, which slow down the digestion process.

The glycemic index or glycaemic index (GI) is a number associated with a particular type of food that indicates the food’s effect on a person’s blood glucose (also called blood sugar) level. A value of 100 represents the standard, an equivalent amount of pure sugar.

What conclusions can we draw from this?

The fact that white rice is not as rich as brown rice in fiber, vitamins and minerals, does not make white rice a bad source of energy. Actually, the harmful toxins in brown rice, phytic acid and arsenic, have a much more negative impact on our bodies than the lack of previously mentioned nutrients. And what is the point of having all those nutrients if the phytic acid and arsenic almost destroys them by making the body not being able to absorb them? From here we can see that even though white rice has less essential nutrients, our bodies can benefit from it better because it is lacking the harmful substances. Furthermore, glycemic index is not a factor that we should worry about, because Tteok usually not only consist rice but also other ingredients, which refutes “the theory of glycemic index”. However, just like all other foods, to get the best nutritional value out of it, rice should be eaten in moderation and combination with other foods.

High GI foods are quickly digested and absorbed. The rapid flactuation in blood leaves body tired and hungry faster. Low GI food are digest and absorbed slower which produces a gradual rise in blood sugar. They help control appetite and delay hunger.

A few amazing facts about Tteok

Here are the few surprising health factors of rice that we got enlightened about during our knowledge-gaining trip around Korea:

1. A plenty of health beneficial ingredients

A variety of fruits, vegetables and plants are used to not only give Tteok a special flavor but also a beautiful color. Ramie (모시) and mugwort (쑥) are both plants with high nutritional values, which are considered medicinal plants as they have been used in Korean medicine. Mugwort is known as a blood cleanser and ramie is believed to decrease major chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, when making songpyeon in the Tteok village of Hamyeang we discovered that even though Tteok is dyed in different colors, the coloring is all natural. Different types of powder made of dried mugwort, pumpkin, cactus are mixed in the dough giving Tteok sense-of-sight-pleasing colors; green, yellow and pink.

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2. No artificial preservatives

The only preservatives Tteok may contain are natural ingredients such as sugar, honey and salt. Though, these ingredients are used very little when making Tteok so therefore they barely have any preservation effects on it. For this reason, Tteok is always eaten shortly after it is made and so it is always fresh and healthy.

3. Some of the main ingredients of Tteok are the world’s healthiest foods

Beans, nuts and seeds are all known as health foods, and studies show that they all have very high nutritional value. Legumes, especially black bean which is often one of the main ingredients of Tteok, not only contain a lot of protein and fiber but also an impressive array of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. Proteins from these ingredients compensate as amino acid source (Lysine and Tryptophan) in addition to carbohydrate in rice. The almost magical combination of nutrients in this pulse explains important aspects of the health benefits for the cardiovascular system, digestive tract and the blood sugar regulatory system. Nuts and seeds are also a great source of protein and fiber but they have many other benefits such as vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids and healthy fats that may prevent cancer and heart diseases. These foods are so healthy that they are recommended to be part of our everyday diets, though in moderate amounts.

4. Fusion Tteok is made healthy, according to customer preferences

As the interest in Tteok started to decrease, fusion Tteok has been developed. Therefore, to figure out how that occurred, we visited the modern Tteok café, Café Jaiso, located in Gangnam to talk with the CEO himself, who is one of the developers of fusion Tteok production. We discovered that in order to raise people’s interest in Tteok again, Tteok has to be made according to people’s changed taste, by adding some western elements such as berry jams, chocolate and cheese. Moreover, as the lifestyle is getting busier and busier, Tteok has to be nicely packed, in small pieces so that people can easily eat as breakfast even in the morning on their way to work or school.

What can we draw from all we have seen, heard and found? We could say Tteok

is quite a controversial food, since studies show different results on the ingredients used for making Tteok. Though, if we think about it critically, Tteok has very little or no added sugar and saturated unhealthy fats, it contains a plenty of health ben-

eficial nutrients and no artificial additives are added in it. The fact that some of the

healthful protein, fiber and vitamins of rice are extracted in the milling process does not make Tteok an empty or an unhealthy source of energy, because those extracted

nutrients are usually replaced with others from the other ingredients. As one would expect, Tteok might not be the perfectly healthy food but compared to bread, Tteok is definitely a healthier alternative for snack or dessert. If people replaced bread

with Tteok in their diets, we’ll certainly be able to see positive changes in people’s health, both physical and psychological.

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Tteok is a Footprint of Nature 떡은자연이다

We all know that each place around the world has its own beauty as the nature differs from a place to another, and so do places in Korea and its nature. This surely has an impact on the beauty of Tteok as well, because the nature affects both Tteok making methods and ingredients. Geographical differences are reflected by the specialty foods depending on the climate and types of agriculture as well as the natural foods available. During our research trip around Korea, we got the chance to immerse into the regional factors of Tteok and we were surprised to discover the big amount of Tteok varieties that even Koreans do not know about. Let’s see what we found out.

Gangwon province As the climate is unfavorable for growing rice, the main agricultural products of Gangwon province are potatoes, buckwheat and corn. Therefore these ingredients are also used in making Tteok and so the specialties of this reagion are gamja Tteok (potato Tteok), maemil Tteok (buckwheat Tteok) and waxy maze siru Tteok (corn Tteok).

Chungcheong province Just like Gyonggi province, Chungcheon province provides an abundant harvest of rice. Therefore, here as well a lot of different Tteoks can be found such as hobak Tteok (pumpkin Tteok).

Jeolla province Jeolla province has a highly diverse agriculture, and a variety of medicinal herbs can be found here. At Naejangsan, where Seoltiee Tteok village is located, we got the chance to learn about the cultivated medicinal herb called Ramie (모시), which is also one of the main ingredients of Tteok in this region. However, as the province also has a rich and varied agriculture, a large variety of Tteok can be found here, from barley to pumpkin Tteok.

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Jeju island The agriculture in Jeju is not very rich so the variety of Tteok is not large here. Though, Jeju is famous for its ugly-looking omaegi Tteok and pancake-looking bingTteok. Being curious to discover what these two specialties are, we went to the big market in Jeju to, of course, see how they are made but also try them and see how they taste like. The main ingredients of omaegi Tteok is red beans and rice as the rice dough is filled with a sweet bean paste and then covered with a lot of red bean. Bing Tteok then is made from totally different ingredients, flour and radish, and it basically looks like a rolled European pancake filled with boiled radish. It can be seen that Tteok, here, is not mainly made from rice like other regions since rice was not abundant in Jeju.

FUN FACTS

Facts about other regions’ tteok

Gyeonggi province is abundant in rice

as Han River crosses Gyeonggi province. Therefore the province is famous about its large variety of tteok; from mugwort tteok to oyster tteok.

The agricultural products of Gyeong-

sang province are not only rice, barley, bean, sweet potato and fruits such as apple, persimmon and pear but also arrowroot and mugwort. All these products are used when making tteok, so you can find a variety of interesting tteok there as well.

We realized that in order to discover the real beauty of Tteok, one must learn about the geographical reflection on Tteok and also how nature affects Tteok production. A large variety of agricultural products are found in different regions of Korea according to their geographic conditions and certainly, these products are used in making Tteok as well. Therefore, through studying about Tteok and the differences in recipes from provinces to provinces, we learnt more about the geography of Korea and understand more how people in the past had overcame geographic difficulties to create numerous types of Tteok. The diversity of Tteok reflects not only the creativity of old Koreans but also the harmony between human and nature.

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Develop

Solutions to popularize Tteok

To FROS, other solutions to take into account To Conclude

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Through our research trip, we were able to find six secrets. These secrets are the

charm and distinction of tteok, which we could think of as its advantages. Consequently, through the secrets we have discovered we will try to seek for solutions to promote the popularization of tteok.

Solutions to popularize Tteok The measures of tteok popularization can be divided into three categories.

1. Commercialization 1.1 Small-sized and pretty packaging Traditionally, tteok is packaged in big size to give away as a gesture of generosity.

However, modern people prefer eating something small and beautiful looking. Though, the big size of tteok and constantly falling crumbs due to bean powder cover cause an unpleasant eating experience for many people. Hence, tteok that is made in small shape

with nice decoration like the ones we saw at the Institute of traditional Korean food is a good example of new trend of tteok.

Tteok sold in the Institute of traditional Korean food

1.2 Improving of packaging method Many people buy products based on the material or design of packaging, and the same comes to tteok. In order to convey the taste of tteok to buyers, more attention must be paid on the packaging design. There is a need for developing a packaging that will make it easier for people to eat and store tteok.

“At the beginning, I couldn’t even imagine that each tteok could be packed separately. Before, tteok was sold in simple plastic bags. However, since today people pay more attention on the packaging, tteok must be nicely packed” - Kim Yeongcheol (CEO of Soltiae Tteok) -

Ramie Tteok with a nice packaging is one of strategy to make Tteok become more productive and easy to eat.

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1.3 Disseminating the culture of affection-sharing using tteok gifts Today on birthdays and anniversaries, people usually choose to give western foods such as cakes and breads as a gift. Though, compared to this, giving traditional Korean food like tteok, is more desirable since to Koreans, tteok is affection, a symbol of devo-

tion and love. However, people nowadays are unfamiliar to giving tteok as a gift, but if

appropriate tteok gift sets for various events are developed, the gift trend could possibly change to tteok giving. Develop appropriate gift set packages for traditional holidays, anniversaries and family events or occasions

Develop new tteok products for western anniversaries such as valentine’s day and white day

1.4 Amelioration of tteok stores’ atmosphere Generally, people buy tteok from small scale tteok stores in traditional markets; so, in reality, many people think that tteok is sold in an unhygienic places. Therefore, instead of dark and dirty traditional markets, tteok has to be displayed in clean and bright shops that everyone can easily have access to.

Just like coffee shops, there’s a need for a fast expansion of trendy new tteok stores

Unlike the traditional tteok stores, new modern tteok cafes matching young people’s taste must be developed.

“There are many people who don’t know that such tteok cafes exist” - Kwon Soon dong (Café Jaiso) -

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1.5 New method to expand Tteok’s shelf-life

Compared to bread, tteok has less calories and it is less sweet, which modern people may prefer. However, as tteok becomes stiff really fast, this can be a big obstacle for the commercialization of tteok. Therefore, to solve this problem, a technology on delaying the expiration date must be developed. As discussed in the “Tteok is Science” part above, tteok becomes stiff due to retrogradation process. Two practical methods to cease retrogradation are quick-freezing or non-stiff tteok.

Quick-freezing We had chance to visit the Korean Association of globalization of Tteok and Hangwa (한국전통떡한과세계화협회), where they also run their own tteok company called Suradang (수라당). Like many other companies who sell Tteok online, preservation of tteok is a big concern for Suradang. Here, they applied fast freezing technique which can instantenously freeze tteok. Equipment needs to be installed in a big room where the temperature is always maintained at - are -20° C. Since Tteok is instantly freezed right after it was made, there is no big difference in taste with normal tteok and products can be preserved up to 6 months.

“The answer to tteok’s shelf life is either freezing or nonstiff tteok.” Park Donghwa, secretery general of Korean Association of globalization of Tteok and Hangwa

Non-stiff Tteok The “non-stiff Tteok” technique combines both traditional culinary method using mallet to hit the dough, maintaining the chewy texture of Tteok and scientific approach to supply moisture to Tteok. Developped by Rural Development Administration (농촌진흥 청), this technique do not use any additive substance as well as chemical treatment.

Rural Development Administration aims to develop agricultural

techniques

to

The product is safe and also shows various advantages such as:

cultivate more efficiently and



1. Longer shelf life

farmers



2. Texture is as chewy as Tteok made from glutinous rice.



3. Can be applied to products made from wide range of grains from

improve welfare services for

white rice to brown rice and mixed grains. Those are helpful application to extend Tteok’s shelf life. However, it exists few drawbacks for each technique. For example, only few kinds of Tteok can be freezed with fast-freezing method. Or for the “non-stiff Tteok” technique, due to engineering fee, only big companies or franchise can afford, making this technique inaccessible to small businesses. Therefore, in the future, support from government or governmental organizations for small businesses is essential.

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2. New transition of Tteok 2.1 Development as a healthy and functional product Since nowadays, people pay much attention about health, Tteok can be promotes as a slow and natural food that it is like a medicine for human body. For example, some ingredients in Tteok like jujube which is also used in oriental medicine are interlinked with the well-being era. The image of Tteok would be promoted as high quality and healthy. Create additional values by developing functional premium products using healthy nutritious brown rice and multi grains when making Tteok Instead of high-calorie desserts such as cakes, ice cream and chocolate, Tteok must be positioned as a premium dessert that is good for health having a high nutritional value

Slow Food is an international movement founded by Carlo Petrini in 1986. Promoted as an alternative to fast food, it strives to preserve traditional and regional cuisine and encourages farming of plants, seeds and livestock characteristic of the local ecosystem. Its goals of sustainable foods and promotion of local small businesses are paralleled by a political agenda directed against globalization of agricultural products.

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2.2 Development to fulfill the needs of modern young people The launched product must reflect the taste and the lifestyle of young people. The

reasons why young Koreans do not eat Tteok regularly are not only because of its appearance but also due to many other factors. Hence, throughout researches and observations of modern trends are required.

Continuously develop Tteok decoration method such as different shapes (heart, rabbit…) or design using Tteok imprinting and addition tastes like fruity flavor or cream cheese, chocolate…

Today there are many busy people who have no time to have their breakfast . Therefore, in order to solve this problem, Tteok has to be developed as convenient and healthy take out breakfast.

As we visited Jaiso Company, we believe that developing Tteok in the fusion

pathway can be an answer for the future of Tteok. Looking back at Tteok’s histo-

ry, this traditional food has gone through a lot of transitions and in this modern time, it is needed for Tteok to go through another transition to catch up with new consumers’ trends and lifestyle. We appreciate what café Jaiso is pursuing: they develop fusion Tteok that has taste and appearance according to their customers’ de-

mand. In addition, they have small Tteok packages that any busy person can grab and eat as breakfast. The tradition of Tteok should be carried on but at the same time, the modern side of Tteok should be refined.

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3. Specialized workforce and organizations 3.1 Expansion of specialized workforce By training Tteok specialists who master the techniques of making Tteok, we can promote production of Tteok which combine modern technology and traditional methods. In addition, we need scientific data that satisfies modern customers who place importance on healthy factors. The technical professionals can provide helpful information for researches about high nutritional value of Tteok and solution for its problems.

Special courses about Tteok making and license systems are needed. “Tteok developing competition” can motivate Tteok makers. Through competitions, new ideas and specialized workforce can be reinforced. 3.2 Needs for professional research organizations It is undeniable that professional research organizations have essential role in

the succession of Tteok’s culture. During our research trip, we felt that the number of organizations related to Tteok is inadequate. As professional research institutes have important functions such as: ① Development of strategies to popularize, gentrify and globalize Tteok ② Searching of solutions for succession of Tteok’s culture ③ In depth studying about ingredients, culinary techniques, serving… ④ Research on educational methods about Tteok related knowledge and lost recipes ⑤ Publication of promotional materials

As now Tteok is being developed following two pathways: tradition and fusion, it is necessary to have at least one organization to corporate and harmonize the work of people who pursuit traditional methods and who keep track on fusion way.

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The need of Tteok culture succession The value of tteok and its culture

National value

Historical and cultural value

Retain the identity of nation, history and culture Instrument to boost national brands

Commercial value

Industrial value

Establish the cultural industry

Benefits to other related businesses

Involve business and strategical ef-

forts

Promoted as touristic and cultural

product

3.3 The formation of tteok centers cluster Depending on the area, Tteok has different characteristics. However, when comes the reality of the modern days, where the demand is decreasing and the various characteristics start to disappear, small scale cluster formation and local governmental support is needed in order to prevent this. Right now, individual production of Tteok in different regions causes imbalance in products’ quality; thus, creating confusion for consumers about Tteok. For this reason, the formation of cluster of local Tteok industry supported by local government or municipal is recommended. Moreover, industry-academic corporation should be tighten to help providing assistance to such cluster.

As we know, Songcheon Tteok village is currently having a plan of creating a cluster

with four other Tteok villages in order to magnify the model of Tteok villages in Korea. Example of national cluster Under the supervision of Cheongdogun, 17 compa-

nies and institutes in Sangjoo-si and Moonkyeong-si together established a cluster of persimmon production, securing the price as well as income for farmers

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To FROS, other solutions to take into account We think that in order to boost the popularization of Tteok, people’s awareness about Tteok must be raised. Various methods are needed to make the popularization possible but first of all the people’s interest in Tteok must be brought back by promoting Tteok and making people realize that Tteok is an unique traditional food that can only been found in Korea.

Tteok experience since childhood Through our trip we realized that to truly understand the importance, meaning and the value of Tteok, direct experience is needed. We had chance to experience Tteok making and that was when we realized that Tteok is a food that is made by putting so much heart and soul in it. Moreover, Tteok making experience was a chance for us to know more of Korean culture and history. Thus, in order to enable students to experience Tteok making, experience places must be multiplied. If children learn how to make Tteok and get in contact with the culture and

Optional semester The flexible semester offered to middle school students in order for them to experience various activities such as career orientation or discussion, practical training about variables.

the customs, in the future not only the awareness about Tteok will be positively formed but also cultural inheritance will be succeed. Recently, Korean government announced that from next year optional semester will be introduced to Korean education system, which means that students will be able to participate in more than two ritual experience activities per semester. Tteok making experience would be a good study experience for students.

Beyond popularization comes the possibility of globalization Korea traditional food culture has the potential of globalization. After accomplishing domestic popularization of Tteok, Tteok should be globalized by being exported to other countries and commercialized as a representative food of Korea. Our team thinks that to accomplish popularization and then globalization a short term strategy must be developed. Here is what we came up with:

1 2 3

Tteok and its recipes must be developed according to the

taste of foreigners. The development of fusion Tteok is an essential factor

Tteok’s development should be oriented toward creative.

Hence, a change in research and promote activities is required for an accurate understanding of Korean Tteok culture.

A globalization strategy on comprehensive food culture

must be established.

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SURVEY

Do foreigners like fusion or traditional Tteok?

Location: Insadong Participants: 30 foreigners Materials: Traditional Injeolmy and Injeolmy with dipping sauces: chocolate sauce, strawberry sauce, honey, cheese sauce, mayonnaise

Result: Among 30 participants, 24 are in favor for Injeolmy with dipping sauces, showing that foreigners prefer fusion Tteok over traditional ones.

Surely, compared to Tteok popularization, globalization of Tteok is a much more complicated and harder thing to accomplish, because people have different tastes, separated studies for each country are needed. However, our team believes that popularization will naturally become “the bridge” that will take Tteok to the world and make it global. Hence,

rather than rushing to accomplish the globalization of Tteok we must not forget our top priority of Tteok popularization.

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To conclude, Through Tteok, the four of us, who came to Korea from different countries, became one and formed a team. It is true that Tteok is not a food that we were familiar with. However, our team felt that Tteok is not just a simple food. We wanted to learn about the meanings and messages that Tteok has inside itself. Thus, we went on a research trip to find out the true nature of Tteok. More than any other Korean food, Tteok has a close co-relation with Korean history. It is indigenous and precious representative Korean food. Through Tteok we got the chance to have a deeper understanding about Korean culture and history. We also learned that Tteok had played an amazingly important role in people’s live before, and we were sad to discover how much the preciousness of Tteok has decreased in today’s Korean society. At the beginning we had the mindset that it is important to globalize Tteok. However, to receive the love from other people, you must first learn to love yourself. Similarly, we believe that Korean people must first be aware of the preciousness of Tteok and also have the pride about Tteok as the traditional Korean food and then the globalization could be accomplished. Finally, our team hopes that in the near future Tteok will be highly commercialized and so people will be able to easily get in contact with Tteok and through this Tteok will become the popular food of Korea. After accomplishing the popularization, just like kimchi, Tteok will globally be the new representative food of Korea.

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