▲ This photo, provided by the National Folk Museum of Korea, shows rice cakes. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

 

SEOUL, Nov. 1, (Yonhap) -- The culture of making and sharing "Tteok" or rice cakes, a food that is eaten on Korean holidays and important ceremonies, is planned to be designated as the National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The Cultural Heritage Administration announced Monday that the designation of "Tteok Making" as the National Intangible Cultural Heritage will recognize the traditional lifestyle and culture of Korea.

Tteok is generally made by steaming grain flours. Since there are various methods to cook rice cakes, tteok can be steamed through a traditional steamer or "siru" in Korean, boiled in water, or baked in oil. It is known that there are more than 200 types of rice cakes recorded in historical literary collections alone.

Traditionally, rice cakes have been a "key offering" for weddings, funerals ceremonies, rituals, Lunar New Year's Day, Chuseok or the Korean thanksgiving holiday, as well as on a baby's first-birthday. Rice cakes are also prepared for gut rituals held by traditional shamans and to this day, people still carry out the culture of sharing tteok with others when moving into a new house or after starting a business.

As a result, rice cake has become more than a tasty dish. It has become a sign of "jeong," a Korean concept of deep connection and harmony, as well as a symbol of generosity and sharing between communities.

However, it is still unclear when Koreans exactly began to eat rice cakes. Still, considering that "siru" was found as ruins of the Bronze Age and Iron Age, and located in the mural of fourth century Anak Tomb No.3 in South Hwanghae, North Korea, it is likely rice cakes were made and enjoyed for a long time.

There are also old historical records about rice cakes. In the "Samguksagi," a historical book on the Three Kingdoms of Korea, the Chinese character "餠," which means rice cake, was identified. Furthermore, in historical documents like "Donggukisanggukjip," the 13th-century literary collection, and the 14th-century literary collection of "Mokeunjib," there are records that people cooked and ate rice cakes.

During the Joseon Dynasty, as agricultural technology and recipes developed, ingredients and methods used for making rice cake became diversified and commonly used in rituals. Historical documents like "Sangayorok," "Jeungbosanrimkyungje;" "Gyuhapchongseo;" and "Eumsikdimibang" introduces new recipes and names of tteok.
 

▲ This file photo shows people in the process of making "Garae-tteok," which is a long cylindrical rice cake. (Yonhap)
Another characteristic of Korea's rice cake culture is how different regions utilize its respective geographical characteristics to make different versions of rice cakes. Since potatoes and corn are regularly supplied in Gangwon province, the region's signature rice cake "sirutteok" is made potato and corn. Like such, in Jeju Island, where rice is scarce but has an ample supply of grains, people use red beans, buckwheat, and millet to make "omeki-tteok," "bing-tteok," "chajopssal-tteok."

The Cultural Heritage Administration emphasized that making rice cakes is an important intangible asset for understanding Korean culture, has many historical records dating back to the Three Kingdoms Period, has a long history and is still handed down to present-day generations nationwide, and includes distinct characteristics of rice cakes by region.

However, the Cultural Heritage Administration decided not to recognize a specific group or organizations in the designation like "Arirang," "Kimchi making," and "Makgeoli making and sharing," considering the making of tteok is a Korean culture that takes place across the Korean peninsula.

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