Seollal | Where to find Seollal Food & Why Korean eat Ddukguk, Mandoo and Sikhye

Dduk guk 떡국

Korean Rice Cake Soup

Ingredients: rice cake, beef, scallion, thinly fried egg

Many of you are already familiar with this Korean food: dduk guk! It is a hot soup with sliced rice cake with grounded beef, and dried seaweed. The type of rice cake used in this soup is called garae dduk, whose shape is like a long rope before its sliced. Koreans eat this to wish for longevity. Another theory tells that our ancestors worships the sun in the ancient time, so the circular shape of rice cake symbolizes the sun and the white color its brightness! Back then, they used pheasant instead of beef.

Where to find

Many of Korean cuisine restaurants serve ddukguk, especially mandoo(dumpling) places. The most affordable places are so-called “Gimbap Heaven”, “Gimbap Nara” or “Nadeuri Gimbap” where they sell it at 5,000KRW. You can also find an inexpensive one at a food court at a mall or department store.

Gaejeong 개정

─  Address: 52, Dongseong-ro 3-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu, Korea

─  Address(KR): 대구 중구 동성로3길 52

─  Price: 10,000KRW

Mandoo 만두

Korean Dumpling

Ingredient: pork, tofu, green bean sprouts, sweet potato noodles

This so common dish is actually New Year ’s Day food. Grounded pork, vegetables and noodles are wrapped in thin layer of dough. Koreans in the old days considered it a symbolic way to take in good luck. Mandoo has so many variations today. Most times, it is so affordable!

Where to find

Many places that serve Korean dishes serve this delicacies. However, I highly recommend you try one from a mandoo specialty stores. Mandoo places almost always serve take-outs as well.

Taesan Mandoo 태산만두

─  Address: 2109-32, Dalgubeol-daero, Jung-gu, Daegu, Korea

─  Address(KR): 대구 중구 달구벌대로 2109-32

─  Price: 5,000KRW

Miseongdang Bunsik 미성당 분식

─  Address: 166-1, Gyeongsanggamyeong-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu, Korea

─  Address(KR): 대구 중구 경상감영길 166-1

─  Price: 4,000KRW

Ms Jang’s Handmade Mandoo 장여사 나뭇잎 손만두

─  Address: 15, Wolbae-ro 14-gil, Dalseo-gu, Daegu, Korea

─  Address(KR): 대구 달서구 월배로14길 15

─  Price: 4,000KRW

Sikhye식혜

Sweet Rice Punch

Ingredients: malt, rice, pine nuts

Holidays are all about treating yourself with good foods! We often let ourselves eat a lot more than we usually eat on Seollal. In addition to food mentioned above, adult members of family cook a variety of seollal foods. After meal, you will need sikhye to rinse out inside the mouth and help digest! It is a rice based drink that has distinctive sweet and flavor.

Where to find

You can find sikhye at any traditional market nearby. They sell from a cup-sized to a bottle.

Seomun Market

─  Address: 45, Keunjang-ro 26-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu

─  Address(KR): 대구 중구 큰장로 26길 45

─  Price: 1,000 – 2,000KRW/cup

Chilseong Market

─  Address: 28, Chilseongsijang-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu, Korea

─  Address(KR): 대구 북구 칠성시장로 28

─  Price: 1,000 – 2,000KRW/cup