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| Koreans always associate special holidays and festivals with special food.
This is called 'Sesi' food. Tteokguk is the food eaten on New Years Day. |
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Korea's Greatest Holiday, New Year's Day!
Koreans believe that because New Year's Day is the first day of a new year, people should be careful and behave well. Families gather together to have memorial service for their ancestors. Children wear new clothes called 'Seolbim' and bow to their elders. Then the elders say he 'Deokdam,' a kind of prayer with good meanings. With all the family together people play folk games such as 'Yut-nori,' 'Jegi-chagi,' 'Neolttuigi,' and kite flying. They also eat special food like 'Sikhye,' 'Gangjeong,'and 'Yugwa.' Tteokguk is also served to ancestors in the memorial services instead of rice and it's also served to any guests who visit.
The reason people eat white Tteokguk is because it has a special meaning.
The white Tteok in the Tteokguk means that people should spend the first day of a new year with a clear mind and solemly. The long white Tteok is the wish of people wanting to live a long life.
Also the food people eat on New Years Day symbolizes getting a year older.
Some people even say that if you don't eat Tteokguk you won't get a year
older!
To make Tteokguk first you need to prepare meat stock and boil it with the
Garae-tteok. When the Tteok floats up add soy sauce and green onion. When
the Tteokguk is cooked put prepared garnish (beef, eggs) on top. Cow bone is used to make stock these days but in the past people used pheasant.
Tteokguk differs depending on the region. In Chungcheon-do people use long
Tteok made of rice, in Gaeseong they use pieces of Tteok cut with a knife
and this is called Joraengi-tteokguk.
Today people also enjoy eating Tteokguk with Korean dumplings, this ritual
originated from North Koreans eating dumpling soup on New Year's Day.
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| 02-01-2002 |
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