
Choraengi Rice Cake Soup with Dumplings 조랭이떡만두국 (Choraengi tteokmanduguk) at Koong
Tteokguk (떡국) is a traditional rice cake soup eaten in Korea to celebrate the new year. Long cylinders of tte0k rice cakes, cut on an angle and cooked until softly chewy and yielding are a necessary ingredient. Shredded or sliced meat, gim (김, laver type seaweed), ribbons of omelette and spring onion rounds add interest to the meaty stock. I’m certain that this celebratory food is best in the home, lovingly prepared and eaten with purpose of celebration.

Long cylinders of tteok.
Sometimes mandu (만두, dumplings) are added to form the variant tteokmanduguk (떡만두국), a preferable modification in my opinion. This version, eaten at Koong in Insa-dong is replete with small rice cake orbs, instead of the more common oval slices. These balls, called Choraengi, are present due to historical events, and hold their shape without softening and expanding in the soup as the others are wont to do. The broth, cooked for 12 hours, is clean yet full of flavour. There is no egg, and it’s light on the gim, but four fat mandu more than make up for it. Filled with meat, tofu and chives with a thin wrapper, they’re simple and flavour packed. A huge picture of a Grandmother and Granddaughter adorn one wall, the elder having made these North Korean Gaesong-style dumplings for 75 years.

Cabbage and daikon kimchi, both sour and spicy red are provided, as well as a less common accompaniment. Dongchimi (동치미) looks like slabs of white diakon floating in cloudy water. It is a kind of kimchi that is only fermented for a short while, and is often not spicy. A spoonful of the ‘water’ tasted every-so-often clears and invigorates the palate wonderfully, with its lightly sour, complex flavour.
Koong serves other dishes, but is most famous for it’s tteokmanduguk and for good reason. It’s a tasty and satisfying, yet light version of a dish that I’ve only ever experienced as stodgy and oversalted, though my knowledge is understandably limited. Although it isn’t strictly a Korean New Years tteokguk, it’s the one I’d choose to eat. Happy lunar new year! 새해 복 많이 받으세요!

Koong
Choraengi Rice Cake Soup with Dumplings 조랭이떡만두국 – 8,000won.
Directions: Anguk station exit 6. Take the first major left down Insa-dong street. Keep walking until you pass the Ssamzie complex on your left, then take the next left. Take the next alley on your left and Koong is the first restaurant on the left. Or just look at the map.






















