

1/2 pound flank beef – cut bite size (vegan: omit or substitute tempeh).Korean Rice Cake Soup (Ddeokguk) Ingredients: (serves about 3 people) Seollal is filled with deep traditions and plenty of precious family time. Nonetheless, this holiday is honored and revered. Korean Lunar New Year (Seollal) is not as well known as its more popular counterpart, Chinese New Year. I would venture to say that ddeokguk is sort of like the Korean equivalent to beef stew because both are tasty and both feel like home. The rice cake soup is topped with freshly chopped green onions, red chile peppers, sliced egg, and roasted seaweed. Not sure where to find ddeok? l got you covered, ABQ. The sliced rice cakes look like coins so they are said to symbolize prosperity. Ddeokguk is made up of sliced rice cakes called ddeok which is cooked in a satisfying beef broth. Moreover, this flavorsome soup is the ultimate comfort food. Eating ddeokguk on Korean Lunar New Year invokes a sort of “New Year, New Me” type of vibe.ĭdeokguk has a whitish hue which represents clean new beginnings. Korean homes are filled with the inviting aroma of soup as they bring in the hopes and dreams of a prosperous new year. On the day, we eat loads of delectable Korean dishes that take me straight to my happy place.Īs per tradition, Koreans will prepare a mouthwatering rice cake soup called ddeokguk (떡국).

To be completely honest, the festivities on the days before and after Seollal are great, but the actual day of Seollal is by far my personal favorite. The parents, however, typically receive more traditional gifts such as ginseng, honey, Spam (yes, we love Spam!), toiletry sets, or sweets and cookies. The kiddos are usually content with gift cards or cold hard cash. In return, the elders will offer their blessings and well wishes for a prosperous year.Īccordingly, gifts are exchanged during Seollal.

Then the boys and girls respectfully bow to their elders and wish them an abundance of luck in the new year. The kids often dress up in traditional Korean clothing called hanbok (한복). Typically, the children will perform what is called Sehbeh (세배). For three days, there are Seollal festivities galore that are deep-rooted in Korean tradition. Seollal is also an opportunity for Koreans to pay respect to their ancestors. And it is celebrated for three whole days! People travel from far and wide back to their hometowns for this joyous occasion, and families come together to spend some good ol’ fashioned quality time with one another. This celebration of the new year is kind of a big deal. For the Land of the Morning Calm, the Korean Lunar New Year is known as Seollal (설날).
