5 Mouth Watering Korean Rice Cake Brands You Have To Try In 2023
Here are the reviews for the top Korean rice cake brands that help you get a taste of delicious Korean ttbeokki!
Korean food is now becoming popular worldwide. And you can taste it at home with these Korean rice cake brands.
Tteok or a Korean rice cake is a type of doughy, fluffy cake that is made by pounding glutinous and non-glutinous rice.
Related: Are Korean Rice Cakes Healthy
| Korean Rice Cakes | Flavor | Rice Cake Shape |
| Sekero Korean Rice Cake | No Flavor | Ovalettes |
| Samyang Bulldark Spicy Chicken Roasted Tteokbokki | Spicy Chicken | Cylindrical |
| MIMI Tteokbokki Authentic Korean Rice Cake | Sweet & Spicy | Cylindrical |
| Yopokki Cheese Tteokbokki Korean Rice Cake | Cheese | Cylindrical |
| Vegan SD Foods Majjoeum Jjajang Flavor Tteokbokki | Black Soybean Sauce | Cylindrical |
The most common type of Korean rice cake is one that is pounded into a gluey, sticky mass of different shapes and sizes. But there are also rice cakes that are steamed or fried.
Korean rice cakes can then be used in sweet or savory dishes. But they are generally used to create Tteokbokki, a form of spicy stir-fry.
How To Shop For The Best Korean Rice Cake
Before buying Korean rice cakes, here are some tips that can help you find the best ones for your Korean soups, desserts or stir-fry.
The first and most important tip is to find the freshest Korean rice cakes. For most people this is not possible, especially if you’re not living in South Korea.
In an ideal situation, you should use Korean rice cakes freshly made from a local bakery. These have a chewier texture than packaged Korean rice cake brands.
But fear not, the Korean rice cakes available in the market today are also great for use. If you want to bring out the chewy texture of cakes, you can thaw them in hot water for 5 mins before using them.
Another tip to keep in mind while looking at Korean rice cake brands is to pay close attention to the shape.
Most rice cakes come in either cylindrical or oval shaped bits. I prefer to buy the oval shaped ones as they are less thick and take up the sauce better while cooking.
Oval shaped ones are also thin and have a nice texture in your mouth, while eating. Cylindrical ones can be a bit difficult to eat.
How I tested the top Korean rice cake brands?
I tried out these rice cake brands myself and then rated them on a scale of 105 based on certain parameters. I’ve listed these parameters below. They include:
- Taste & Flavor – I first tested how tasty these rice cake brands are. As taste is subjective, I checked for neutral factors like spice levels, lack of blandness, innovative flavors, etc.
- Healthiness – I then checked the amount of sodium, trans fats, and MSG in the rice cakes to see if they are “healthy” or not.
- Price – I then noted how costly each of these rice cakes brands were and also how much quantity (and quality!) you get with the price tag.
Top Korean Rice Cake Brands 2023
I found several Korean rice cake brands selling both uncooked, packaged rice cakes and instant rice cake Tteokbokki and soups.
I’ve reviewed a few of the best ones below. You can choose to either get the packaged rice cakes and cook it yourself or simply buy an instant Korean rice cake to get a taste.
Sekero Korean Rice Cake
Sekero is one of the best Korean rice cake brands today. I liked these ones best because they are small oval-shaped pieces instead of long cylindrical ones.
These rice cakes are so much easier to cook and also to portion. In my opinion, they also absorb flavor from the sauce and seasoning better.
Sekero rice cakes are vacuum packed and sealed. So they arrive fresh as if you’ve got them from a local Korean bakery or grocery store.
But this has its downside. As the products are fresh and preservative-free, they also get spoiled quickly.
So you have to use the whole thing once you open the packet. You can freeze them immediately after opening and thaw them before using.
However, I still would suggest you to eat them within a week or less. Also, do not use hot water to thaw these ovaletts as it can change their texture and make them less appetizing.
Pros:
- Fresh and authentic flavors
- 1/8th inch ovaletts that soak up sauce easily due to their shape
- Easy to cook as instructions given
Cons:
- Get spoiled quickly
- Expensive
My Ratings:
- Taste & Flavor – 4.5/5
- Healthiness – 4.5/5
- Price – 3.5/5
Samyang Bulldark Spicy Chicken Roasted Tteokbokki
If you do not like cooking and definitely do not want to try your hand at cooking a whole new cuisine, I’ve got you covered.
With these Samyang Instant Tteokbokki, you get to taste amazing Korean cuisine without doing any of the hard work involved in cooking.
Tteokbokki is typically Korean rice cakes cooked in a spicy, flavorful sauce. It’s very similar to how pasta would have been made in western cultures.
This instant Tteokbokki comes in an extra-spicy roasted chicken flavor and it is absolutely delicious!
It’s very simple to make this too. All you have to do is:
- Transfer the rice cakes and sauce into a bowl
- Add hot water into the bowl
- Cover the bowl with a lid
- Place it in a microwave and cook
Depending on your microwave, you’ll probably need to cook for anywhere from 2 minutes 30 seconds to 3 minutes 30 seconds.
Pros:
- Quick to make as no cooking or extra ingredients needed
- Doesn’t get spoiled over time as it’s packaged
- Delicious taste and flavors that don’t overwhelm the palate
Cons:
- No control over flavor as it’s a pre-packaged rice cake
- Contains MSG that can trigger sensitivities in some people
My Ratings:
- Taste & Flavor – 4/5
- Healthiness – 4/5
- Price – 4/5
MIMI Tteokbokki Sweet & Spicy Authentic Korean Rice Cake
The hotness of the gochugang sauce in making Tteokbokki is not something everyone can handle.
So if you’re looking for something milder and sweeter, you can try this MiMi Korean rice cake brand.
Yes, this is also an instant Tteokbokki product. However, unlike some other brands in the market, Mimi ensures the rice cakes stay chewy throughout.
I feel like a lot of instant rice cake brands have this drawback, where the rice cakes are not as chewy as the fresh ones. So this was a nice change.
But be careful you make it properly, if you mix up the instructions, you will end up with rice cakes that are too gummy to eat.
I liked the combination of sweet and spicy in the sauce given. But I also felt the consistency of the sauce could have been better.
It’s a bit watery and the rice cakes do not take it well. They are penne-sized cylinders are not ovalletes, so the shape makes it even more difficult for the flavor to be absorbed.
Pros:
- Rice cakes stay chewy
- Mild sweet and spicy taste that satisfies all palates
Cons:
- Sauce given is a bit runny
- Rice cakes can get gummy if not made well
My Ratings:
- Taste & Flavor – 3.5/5
- Healthiness – 4/5
- Price – 4/5
Yopokki Cheese Tteokbokki Korean Rice Cake Instant
This is a very curious flavor and I just had to try it!
Cheese isn’t something you’d ordinarily find in Tteokbokki, but this Yopokki rice cake brand somehow makes it work.
The result is a mix of Korean and American flavors that go well together. I like how the softness of the cheese adds to the consistency of the fiery Tteokbokki sauce.
A word of advice… the sauce appears runny at first, but you need to let it thicken.
The cylindrical-shaped rice cakes are chewy and the sauce is flavorful.
Pros:
- Chewy rice cake texture
- Cheese flavor that is different from traditional ttbeokki
- Spicy and sweet sauce that is very flavorful
Cons:
- Rice cake might not absorb flavor well due to cylindrical shape
My Ratings:
- Taste & Flavor – 4/5
- Healthiness – 4/5
- Price – 3.5/5
Vegan SD Foods Majjoeum Jjajang Flavor Tteokbokki
Unlike a lot of other instant Tteokbokki Korean rice cake brands, this one is vegan.
A lot of Tteokbokki products use chicken and sometimes beef stock to enhance the flavor.
But if you’re a vegetarian or looking for a halal version of Tteokbokki, then this is a good choice.
The vegan flavors of this Korean rice cake include black soybean Jjajang and extra spicy. But if you don’t mind non-vegetarian products, there’s also carbonara, fish cake, and spicy chicken.
I also liked how this product does not use any artificial ingredients. So you can count on it to be healthier than others.
Like the Mimi Tteokbokki, this one too comes with cylindrical rice cakes. These are really chewy and the texture is amazing. But unfortunately, I don’t find it good for holding sauce or flavors.
Pros:
- Vegan
- Can be consumed as a Halal/Kosher alternative
- Natural ingredients that are healthier than other pre-packaged rice cake brands
Cons:
- Cylindrical rice cakes that do not take up sauce well
- Sauce is a bit runny
My Ratings:
- Taste & Flavor – 4.5/5
- Healthiness – 4.5/5
- Price – 4.5/5
What are some of the different types of Korean rice cakes?
There are many different types of Korean rice cakes, but some of the most popular ones include bokkeum (복구), makgeolli (막거요), and jorim (조림). Here are some more details about each:
Bokkeum is a type of rice cake that is made from glutinous rice flour, sugar, and salt. It is often served as a snack or dessert and can be flavored with cardamom, cinnamon, or vanilla.
Makgeolli is a type of rice cake that is made from glutinous rice flour, sweet potatoes, cow’s milk, and salt. It is often served cold and can be flavored with makgeolli paste (made from glutinous rice flour, sweet potato starch, pandanus leaf extract, sugar, salt), green tea extract, or honey.
Jorim is a type of rice cake that is made from glutinous rice flour, sweet potato starch, egg white powder, and salt. It is sometimes served cold and can be flavored with green tea extract or honey.
Is Tteokbokki and rice cake both the same?
No, tteokbokki and rice cakes are not the same – even though they do share the same main ingredient of chewy and sticky rice.
Rice cakes, or “tteok” in Korean, are a traditional Korean food made of steamed, pounded or made from powder of various grains, usually white rice.
The finish product can be flattened into various shapes and also mixed with various ingredients, such as nuts and fruits, to create a delicious, flavorful treat.
Tteokbokki, on the other hand, is a spicy, stir-fried dish most often made with the same type of chewy and sticky rice cakes, but sometimes with an additional ingredient like fish cakes.
The dish is usually seasoned with a red chili paste called gochujang and other spices and sauces, such as soy sauce, to give the dish its signature flavor.
Rice cakes are sometimes also included in other dishes such as soup and stew, but they are not the same thing as tteokbokki.
To summarize, rice cakes and tteokbokki are two very different dishes. Rice cakes are made of steamed, pounded, or made from powder of grains, while tteokbokki is a stir-fried dish made with the same type of chewy and sticky rice cakes, and additional ingredients such as fish cakes and seasonings like gochujang and soy sauce.
Rice cakes can also be added to other dishes, but they are not the same as tteokbokki.
FAQs – Korean Rice Brands
What does Korean rice cake taste like?
Korean rice cakes are made of pounded rice. So unlike pasta or noodles, they have a distinct flavor and taste like rice.
The taste of Korean rice cakes is mild, which is good as it doesn’t overpower the taste of the sauce used in Tteokbokki or the seasoning used to create Korean rice cake soup.
However, the texture is what makes all the difference!
The texture of the Korean rice cakes varies with the shape of the rice cakes.
Long, cylindrical rice cakes like the ones used in Tteokbokki are very chewy while small, oval-shaped ones are less chewy.
Are Tteokbokki and Tteokmyeon the same?
No they are not. Korean rice cakes are called Tteok, and Tteokbokki is Korean rice cake stir-fry. It’s a popular dish made with spicy sauce.
The rice cakes used to make Tteokbokki are long and cylindrical and may resemble noodles. These Korean rice cakes are specifically called Tteokmyeon (rice cake noodles) or Tteokbokki-Tteok (rice cakes for Tteokbokki).
So while Tteokbokki is the name of the dish, Tteokmyeon refers to the rice cakes used to create Tteokbokki.
Is Tteokbokki healthy?
If you’re planning to cook Tteokbokki at home with fresh or packaged rice cakes, veggies and sauces, it should be healthy to eat.
Yes, Tteokbokki is ultimately made of rice, so it contains lots of carbs.
And there is also wheat starch that is used to bind rice cakes while pounding them. So if you have a gluten allergy, you might want to avoid them.
Instant Tteokbokki are a whole different deal. Most instant food contains MSG in small amounts and a high preservative content.
These are also very carb-heavy and do not contain additional nutrients either.
Those were some of the best Korean rice cake brands in the market today. In this article, I’ve listed out both the packaged, uncooked rice cakes and the instant rice cake dishes.
You can choose either depending on your tastes and convenience.
The best Korean Tteokbokki is made with freshly made rice cakes. But for people not living in South Korea, the rice cakes shown above make a great alternative.
Also Read:
Sekero Korean Rice Cake
The best Korean rice cakes brands are fresh and high quality. Sekero Korean Rice Cake gives an authentic Korean taste.
Product SKU: K65J2V266T2GJVJ
Product Brand: Sekero
Product Currency: USD
Product Price: $24.99
Price Valid Until: 2023-03-04
Product In-Stock: InStock
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