Witch tteokbokki flushing is a popular dish in Korean cuisine. Tteokbokki, also known as spicy rice cakes, is a traditional Korean street food made with rice cakes, fish cake, and a spicy red sauce. Witch tteokbokki flushing is a variation of this dish that incorporates a unique twist. The name "witch" tteokbokki flushing comes from the vibrant red color of the dish, reminiscent of a witch's potion. The use of red chili paste gives the tteokbokki its signature spicy flavor and rich hue. This variation is known for being especially spicy, often causing diners to break a sweat and experience a tingling sensation on their tongues.
O’Food, a global producer of Korean pantry staples, started selling instant pre-packaged tteokbokki in the U.S. in October 2021 through online retailers such as Walmart and Amazon. Its sales of the rice cake have increased 450% over the last year.
Pre-packaged versions of the food have started popping up at national wholesalers like Costco, online sales are spiking and tteokbokki-specific restaurants are expanding. Pre-packaged versions of the food have started popping up at national wholesalers like Costco, online sales are spiking and tteokbokki-specific restaurants are expanding.
This variation is known for being especially spicy, often causing diners to break a sweat and experience a tingling sensation on their tongues. To make witch tteokbokki flushing, the rice cakes and fish cakes are first cooked in boiling water until they become soft. The cooked rice cakes and fish cakes are then combined with a thick, spicy sauce made from gochujang (red chili paste), garlic, soy sauce, sugar, and other seasonings.
Tteokbokki takeover: America's next food obsession is the ultimate Korean comfort food
Demand for the Korean street-food staple has spiked in the U.S., with online sales increasing and new restaurants now offering varieties of the spicy dish.
Lauren Schatzman / NBC News March 3, 2023, 12:00 PM UTC By Youyoung LeeAsk any Korean what their favorite street food is and, most likely, at the top of the list will be tteokbokki — the pillowy soft rice cakes doused in a sticky red pepper sauce. Now the dish is gaining traction in the U.S. thanks to a confluence of Korean popular culture and accessibility.
Pre-packaged versions of the food have started popping up at national wholesalers like Costco, online sales are spiking and tteokbokki-specific restaurants are expanding. There also was, of course, that moment BTS singer Jimin helped make it a trending item on social media when he was spotted eating it at a Seoul food market. Tteokbokki is also the preferred food of Ji-Young, Sesame Street’s’ first Asian muppet.
O’Food, a global producer of Korean pantry staples, started selling instant pre-packaged tteokbokki in the U.S. in October 2021 through online retailers such as Walmart and Amazon. Its sales of the rice cake have increased 450% over the last year.
“Our bestselling product on online platforms has always been gochujang, but our tteokbokki product line has already become our runner-up within a year,” O’Food company representative Justin Park told NBC News.
He added that tteokbokki has outpaced popular Western snacks at times, with his product and Quaker alternating for first and second bestsellers in the “rice cakes” category at Amazon’s Grocery and Gourmet Foods section.
O’Food, which sells packaged tteokbokki, has had a 450% increase in sales over the last year. O'Food
Its sentimental value is not lost among second-generation Korean Americans, even as new clientele discover the comfort food.
“One of my earliest memories is when I was 9 or 10 years old, I was in Korea for the summer, and my cousins took me to a jip (store) right by their house and I just remember crying, so mae-yo (spicy),” said Joanne Lee Molinaro, creator behind the Instagram account The Korean Vegan and cookbook by the same name.
“I think that is a rite of passage that many Korean Americans have. As a result, its popularity kind of exploded. It’s certainly exploded in my own blog,” Molinaro said. “People would print out that recipe and take it to the Korean grocery store and say, ‘I want to make this.’”
Korean food has long been gaining awareness with Western audiences. Bibimbap was an early Goop — and Gwyneth Paltrow’s — favorite recipe in 2009. Korean barbeque joints in urban areas regularly command long lines. But the proliferation of Korean entertainment — much of which features critical plot lines hinging on eating (think ram-don in “Parasite”) — has helped accelerate interest in dishes beyond Korean fried chicken and K-Bbq. And Netflix has turned Korean food shows and dramas into global sensations.
Yumi Yang pulls tteokbokki rice cakes apart before they are chopped up at San Su Jang rice cake shop in Los Angeles in February 1997. Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images file
“Recently the boom of Korean music, K-pop, Korean dramas, Korean movies, and anything Korean culture has become a lot more popular and now accepted as something hip and cool and something to try out,” said Hooni Kim, the first chef to receive a Michelin star for Korean cuisine. “Somebody who has never tried Korean food but loves BTS and loves the movie ‘Parasite,’ it’s much easier for them to try Korean food.”
Kim sells a packaged version of tteokbokki in his premium food store in New York City, Little Banchan Shop. He sources his dduk from the rice cake maker and bakery Yedang, which he swears by. “This is the best place. I’ve tried every dduk from every purveyor,” he said.
Once a delicacy served in royal courts, the tubular rice cakes date back to the Joseon period in Korea, where it was traditionally cooked in a sweet soy sauce and beef. It is thought to be first documented in the 19th century cookbook “Siuijeonseo,” though its modern-day form has evolved to be red, sticky and sweet, simmered with hard boiled eggs and fish cakes. That too, however, is changing as new innovations bring new flavors.
In New York City, the restaurant Witch Topokki is betting on rice cakes’ growing appeal by bringing a wider selection to the public. The restaurant opened its first location in Flushing, Queens, in December 2022, and a second in nearby Bayside in February 2023.
The menu highlights a variety of rice cakes, from sweet potato to wheat to corn, and unconventional sauces like rose and carbonara. Rice cakes are short like gnocchi, medium-sized or long and skinny. Guests select ingredients from the buffet — most produced in Korea, save for the vegetables — and cook tableside.
“I think younger generations really like it, because this is the first concept in the United States,” said Jerry Kim, general manager at Witch Topokki, who said similar concepts already existed in Asia. “There’s a lot of all-you-can-eat KBBQ, but [stateside] they never had a spicy rice cake.”
The restaurant Yup Dduk, which opened in L.A. in 2015 and specializes in spicy Korean comfort foods, turned the flavors of tteokbokki into the popular hashtag “#Ktownspicychallenge.” It dares users to conquer rice cakes smothered in sauces so spicy they deserve a spot on “Hot Ones,” like cheongyang pepper, which is 10,000 Scoville heat units, and the even hotter Korean ghost pepper, ttaengcho.
Yup Dduk is originally a franchise restaurant from South Korea whose massive expansion speaks to tteokbokki’s potential across the pond — the franchise has 500 locations worldwide.
Pre-packaged versions of the food have started popping up at national wholesalers like Costco, online sales are spiking and tteokbokki-specific restaurants are expanding. There also was, of course, that moment BTS singer Jimin helped make it a trending item on social media when he was spotted eating it at a Seoul food market. Tteokbokki is also the preferred food of Ji-Young, Sesame Street’s’ first Asian muppet.
The sauce is simmered until it thickens and coats the rice cakes and fish cakes, giving them a fiery, flavorful glaze. In addition to the traditional ingredients, witch tteokbokki flushing often includes various toppings. Common toppings include boiled eggs, green onions, and sesame seeds. These toppings help to balance out the spiciness of the dish and add different textures and flavors. Witch tteokbokki flushing is typically enjoyed as a main dish in Korea, but it can also be found in street food markets and as a popular snack. It is often paired with other Korean dishes, such as gimbap (rice rolls) or fried dumplings, and is commonly served with a side of pickled radish to help cleanse the palate. The popularity of witch tteokbokki flushing has spread beyond Korea and can now be found in Korean restaurants worldwide. Its unique combination of spiciness and vibrant flavor has made it a favorite among many people. Whether enjoyed as a meal or a snack, witch tteokbokki flushing is sure to satisfy those who crave a spicy and flavorful dish..
Reviews for "The Magic of Witch Tteokbokki in Flushing, NY"
1. Jessica - 2/5 stars - I was really excited to try Witch Tteokbokki Flushing after hearing so many great things about it, but I was really disappointed with my experience. The tteokbokki lacked flavor and the portion was quite small for the price. The service was also quite slow and inattentive, which made the overall dining experience quite unpleasant. I wouldn't recommend this place to others.
2. Mark - 1/5 stars - Witch Tteokbokki Flushing was a huge letdown for me. The food was bland and lacked any depth of flavor. The sauce was watery and didn't have a spicy kick as I was expecting. The service was also terrible - our order took forever to arrive and the staff seemed disinterested in providing good customer service. Overall, I had a terrible experience here and will not be returning.
3. Suzanne - 2/5 stars - I had high expectations for Witch Tteokbokki Flushing, but unfortunately, it fell short. The tteokbokki itself was undercooked and chewy, and the sauce lacked the authentic flavors I was hoping for. The prices were also quite high for the quality and quantity of the food. While the ambiance of the restaurant was nice, the subpar food and prices make it hard for me to recommend this place to others.
4. Eric - 2/5 stars - I was not impressed with Witch Tteokbokki Flushing. The tteokbokki lacked flavor and was quite bland. The side dishes were also underwhelming and didn't offer much variety. The service was average at best, with servers forgetting our orders and not checking on us regularly. Overall, I was quite disappointed with my experience and would not go back.