Culture of Making Tteok and Sharing with Neighbors Designated as National Intangible Cultural Heritage

Special Food Serving as a Medium for Community Harmony... Protected and Managed Under the General Term 'Tteok Making'

The culture of making rice cakes and sharing them with neighbors during various ceremonies and events will be protected as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. On the 1st, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced that the traditional custom of making and sharing rice cakes will be collectively designated as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage under the name "Rice Cake Making."

Rice cakes are foods made from grain flour. They are completed by steaming in a steamer, pounding the steamed cakes, boiling in water, or frying in oil. Since ancient times, they have been made and eaten during the 100th day celebration, first birthday, weddings, funerals, and ancestral rites. They were also indispensable during holidays such as Seollal (Lunar New Year), Jeongwol Daeboreum (First Full Moon Festival), Dano, and Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving). Even today, it is believed that eating rice cake soup on Seollal adds one year to one's age. During Chuseok, beautifully shaped songpyeon made from newly harvested grains are offered on ancestral tables and graves. Rice cakes are also used as offerings in village and household faith rituals and various shamanistic rites. The culture of sharing rice cakes with neighbors to commemorate business openings or moving continues to this day. In Korea, rice cakes have established themselves as a special food symbolizing "sharing and consideration," "exchanging affection (jeong)," and mediating harmony among community members.

The Cultural Heritage Administration highlighted four major values of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage. These include the long-standing transmission on the Korean Peninsula with related records in ancient documents, the potential as research material in food nutrition and folklore studies, the distinct regional characteristics of rice cakes, and the fact that many transmission communities still maintain traditional knowledge. It is not precisely known when Koreans began eating rice cakes. However, the discovery of steamers in Bronze and Iron Age sites and the depiction of steamers in the murals of Anak No. 3 Tomb in Hwanghae Province from the Goguryeo period suggest that rice cakes have been made since ancient times. Rice cakes also appear in old literature. The historical record "Samguk Sagi" confirms the character "byeong (餠)," meaning rice cake. The "Goryeosa," the literary collection "Dongguk Isanggukjip" by Goryeo scholar Yi Gyubo, and the "Mogeunjip" by late Goryeo scholar Yi Saek all contain detailed descriptions of making and eating rice cakes. During the Joseon Dynasty, as agricultural techniques and cooking methods advanced, the ingredients and methods for making rice cakes diversified, making them commonly used in ceremonies. Methods for making rice cakes are described in texts such as "Sangayorok," "Jeungbo Sallim Gyeongje," "Gyuhap Chongseo," and "Eumsik Dimibang," with over 200 varieties documented.

Each rice cake carries its own unique symbolism. For example, baeksulgi rice cakes offered at the 100th day and first birthday celebrations embody wishes for the child to grow bright and free from harm. Red-colored red bean and millet rice cake balls, which ghosts dislike, were placed to pray that harsh and evil spirits would not settle on the child. The red bean steamer rice cake called "Bongchi-tteok (Bongchae-tteok)," prepared when the groom brought a gift box to the bride's house during traditional weddings, symbolized the harmony between families and blessings for the marriage. "Goim-tteok," used in sixtieth birthday celebrations and ancestral rites, was made to wish for the parents' longevity or to honor the grace of deceased ancestors. Rice cakes reflect many geographical characteristics. In Gangwon Province, rice cakes made from potatoes and corn are passed down. In Jeju Island, where rice is scarce, rice cakes such as Omegi-tteok, Bing-tteok, and Chajobssal-tteok are made using red beans, buckwheat, and millet. Considering that this culture is practiced nationwide, the Cultural Heritage Administration decided not to recognize specific holders or holder groups, unlike with "Arirang," "Kimchi Making," or "Soy Sauce Making."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.