A Royal Dish: Tteokgalbi
Tteokgalbi
Words and photo by Joe Wabe
Korean food aficionados should know three very important things: do not leave Jeonju without trying bibimpab, Jeju without trying black pork and finally Gwangju without tasting tteokgalbi. Tteok is the Korean word for rice cake and galbi is the word for short ribs, but do not worry, there is no rice cake on the recipe.
Originally a royal dish, tteok-galbi is one of the signature dishes of Gwangju, and one of the top five from the region. This tender, moist and savory patty has been around for centuries. It is made out of pork and beef mixed together, and blended with a variety of natural herbs, among many ingredients are ginger, garlic, honey and pear — and it is grilled on charcoal.
One story has it that it was not befitting a king to bite off meat from the ribs of sogalbi-gui, grilled beef short ribs, hence, tteok-galbi was born. It was a dish that was easier to eat, especially for children or the elderly with weak teeth, although not necessarily easier on the chefs due to the recipe of more than twenty ingredients.
In Gwangju, Songjeong — southwestern part of town — is the mecca of tteok-galbi. There is even a street specializing in tteok-galbi. Its history dates back to the 1950s, when Choe Jeo-ja began to sell tteok-galbi with bibimbab, rice mixed with vegetables and beef. Back then in the Songjeong Market, there was a slaughterhouse and a cattle market, which provided her with easy access to meat and the opportunity to create inexpensive, savory tteok-galbi. Her recipe requires that the meat be hand-kneaded for a long time in the seasoning made from nearly twenty ingredients, including kelp, pear and honey to ensure thorough marination.
My grandma used to say, “One can not think well, love well, sleep well, if one doesn’t eat well.” So next time you are in town, or if you are here already, but have not tried this deliciousness yet, plan a short visit to the area and discover the reason why this royal recipe have been so popular for years. You will not be disappointed.