Inquiries About a Tteokbokki Start-Up

Tteokbokki, the pillowy soft rice cakes doused in a spicy red sauce that is a comfort staple for millions of Koreans, has been gaining popularity worldwide due to a confluence of factors such as popular culture, accessibility, and the proliferation of pre-packaged food. The dish is now available at national wholesalers and online retailers in the U.S., and tteokbokki-specific restaurants are popping up. It was even a favorite snack of Sesame Street’s first Asian muppet, Ji-Young. 떡볶이 프랜차이즈 창업

The recipe for tteokbokki has remained fairly consistent, although many new establishments put their own spin on the dish and use a variety of sauces and toppings to create variants. Cheese, squid, instant noodles, ramen soup, bean sprouts, scallions, milk, and other ingredients are used in different combinations to create unique flavors.

According to the Korean Rice Foodstuffs Association, tteokbokki made up around 900 billion won of Korea’s total food market in 2008 and is considered one of the country’s most prominent foods. It is also an attractive item for those looking to start a business as it is easy to produce and affordable.

Aside from its popularity, tteokbokki also holds sentimental value for young people in Korea. It is one of the foods that they grew up with, as it was a common snack they would buy at bunsikjeom (snack bars) after school or college. It was also the food that they would eat with friends when hanging out on rainy nights, which adds to its appeal as a heartwarming comfort food.

As the number of tteokbokki-related searches on YouTube has increased, it is likely that more people will be interested in cooking this comfort food at home. Moreover, this trend is expected to continue as more and more people get into the Korean cuisine with its emphasis on fresh ingredients.

Inquiries about the recipe for tteokbokki are highest on cooking blogs, with an average of 120K searches per month in 2017. The most searched-for ingredient is gochujang, which is an essential condiment in making tteokbokki. Other commonly used ingredients include fish cakes, onions, garlic, cabbages, and cucumbers. The Korean government is putting an effort into expanding the exports of tteokbokki, investing 14 billion won to promote the brand overseas.