Siru-tteok facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sirutteok

sirutteok, steamed tteok made with red bean and rice
Place of origin	Korea
Region or state	Korean-speaking areas
Main ingredients	glutinous rice flour, grains and beans (such as azuki bean, mung bean and sesame, wheat flour or starch)
Variations	seolgitteok, kyeotteok
Food energy (per serving)	100g /183kcal kcal

Sirutteok (시루떡) is a special type of Korean rice cake. People make it by steaming rice or glutinous rice flour. They use a traditional pot called a "siru" (시루) for this.

The siru is an old clay pot used for steaming. It first appeared a very long time ago, during the late Bronze Age in Korea. By the time of the Three Kingdoms period (57 BCE - 676 CE), people all over Korea were using it. This is when siru-tteok became very popular.

People also use the siru pot in special shamanic rituals. They even place it on tables for important gods. This means the siru is not an everyday cooking pot. It is mainly for preparing and serving food for these special ceremonies. Because of this, siru-tteok is not a casual snack.

Many people believe that making siru-tteok is the oldest way to make tteok.

What is Siru-tteok?

Tteok is a steamed rice cake. It is made by steaming powdered rice, then shaping the dough. This tradition of making tteok goes back to 57 BCE, just like the siru pot. Siru-tteok is a layered cake. It often has beans or red beans (called pat, 팥) inside.

This cake is a common offering in rituals for household gods. People use it in rituals to prevent bad luck. They hope it will bring wealth, good luck, and health to their homes. Many believe that the red beans in the cake help to chase away bad spirits.

Another type of siru-tteok is called Baekseolgi. This cake is pure white. People offer it to higher gods. These include Cheonsin (the Celestial God), Sansin (the Mountain God), and Yongsin (the Dragon God). This shows that people believed these gods were as important as the Celestial God.

How to Make Siru-tteok

The siru steaming pot

To make sirutteok, you first soak rice or glutinous rice in water. Then, you grind it into a flour. This rice flour is then placed into a siru pot and steamed.

There are two main ways to steam sirutteok:

• Seolgitteok (설기떡): This is also called muritteok (무리떡). It is the most basic type of sirutteok. It is made only with rice.
• Kyeotteok (켜떡): This type has many layers. It uses azuki bean or other bean powder. These layers are mixed with a rice and glutinous rice mixture.

Ingredients Used

The main ingredients for sirutteok are rice (멥쌀 mepssal) or glutinous rice (찹쌀 chapssal). Sometimes, these two types of rice are mixed together.

Other grains and beans can also be added to the rice. These include azuki beans, mung beans, and sesame seeds. Sometimes, wheat flour or starch is also used.

People also add different fruits and nuts. Some examples are persimmon, peach, apricot, chestnut, walnut, and pine nut.

Vegetables or herbs can give the tteok a special flavor. These might include Danggwi leaves, seogi mushroom, radish, artemisia, and pepper. Some recipes even use Korean wine. For sweetness, people use honey and sugar.

Different Kinds of Siru-tteok

There are many varieties of sirutteok, each with its own special look or taste:

• Baekseolgi (백설기): This means "white snow tteok." It is made from white rice and looks pure white.
• Kongtteok (콩떡): This tteok is made with different kinds of beans.
• Jeungpyeon (증편): This tteok is made using makgeolli, which is a type of unfiltered rice wine.
• Mujigae tteok (무지개떡): This means "rainbow tteok." It has bright, colorful stripes, just like a rainbow! People often serve this tteok at special Korean parties called janchi (잔치). These parties celebrate important events like a baby's first birthday (dol), a 60th birthday (Hwangap), or a wedding (gyeonhon janchi).
• Hobak-tteok: This type of tteok is made with pumpkin.

See also

In Spanish: Siruttok para niños