Tteokbokki

Street snacks

• Wheat (밀)Usually in itOnly this one→

  Wheat reaches the pot three ways: many shops use wheat-flour cakes instead of rice ones, the fish cakes are bound with flour, and the gochujang itself often contains wheat.

• Fish (생선)Usually in itOnly this one→

  Fish cakes made from pollock are cooked right in the sauce, and the soupy version is often built on an anchovy-kelp stock.

• Soybean (대두)Usually in itOnly this one→

  The red sauce is gochujang, which is fermented with soybean powder; the milder brown version swaps it for soy sauce, so soy is there either way.

• Eggs (알류)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  Hard-boiled eggs are a common add-in, simmered whole in the same pot as the cakes and sauce.

• Barley and rye (보리 · 호밀)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  Barley malt powder is a traditional part of gochujang and still used by many brands, so the sauce can carry barley even when the cakes are rice.

• Milk (우유)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  Cheese-topped and cream-sauce versions are popular variations, so check the menu name before ordering.

• Garlic (마늘)Usually in itOnly this one→

  Minced garlic is stirred into the gochujang sauce that the rice cakes simmer in; it coats every piece and cannot be picked out.

• Onion (양파)Usually in itOnly this one→

  Sliced onion is often simmered in the sauce alongside the rice cakes and fish cakes and is a separate ingredient from the green onion added on top.

• Beef (쇠고기)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  Some named versions, such as brisket or mala tteokbokki, cook thin beef slices in with the rice cakes, and some recipes add beef dasida stock powder to the sauce.

• Peanut (땅콩)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  Mala tteokbokki may come with a peanut butter based dipping sauce.

• Shellfish (조개류 · 굴 · 전복)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  Some recipes add oyster sauce to the sauce, and oyster sauce is made from oysters.

• Octopus (문어 · 낙지 · 주꾸미)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  There are nakji tteokbokki and seafood tteokbokki made with webfoot octopus.

• Mushrooms (버섯)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  Cream tteokbokki almost always has button mushrooms, and mushrooms are sometimes added to the red version too.

• Perilla seed (들깨 · 들기름)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  Perilla tteokbokki is made with perilla seed powder stirred into a soy-based sauce.

Usually in it

Most kitchens put this in. Assume it is there unless the staff tell you otherwise.

Sometimes in it

It depends on the recipe and the brand of sauce, so it is worth asking.

Rarely in it

The usual recipe does not call for it, but some kitchens still use it.

Checked 14 of the 33 ingredients this site covers. An ingredient that is not listed here has simply not been checked yet — that is not the same as it not being in the dish.

⚠This page describes how the dish is usually made in Korea. Every kitchen works differently, so always show your card and ask the staff before you order.