These days, the weather is getting chilly at night, and it feels like autumn is entering. There is the biggest holiday in Korea in autumn!. During Chuseok, Koreans gather with their families to cook food and spend time together!. I once went to a Korean friend's house during Chuseok and made food with my friend's family, and I also made songpyeon. I heard a lot of interesting stories about songpyeon. I wrote this article because I wanted to let you know too.

The Old Story of Songpyeon

In the past, it was made with early-ripe rice, so it was also called "Oryeo Songpyeon" (all rice→Oryeo). It is said that it has been popularly made since the Goryeo Dynasty. There is a popular saying that "If you make beautiful songpyeon, you will have a beautiful child." Um... the songpyeon I made... wasn't pretty ㅠㅠ. =.=“

shape of songpyeon

The shape varies from region to region. In Gyeongbuk, there is also a UFO-shaped songpyeon that sticks out in the middle with a round shape, and the songpyeon in Jeju Island is round. In the case of Gangwon-do, they make songpyeon in the shape of pressing with their fingers to make marks. 'Chop songpyeon' made from the first harvested new rice is offered to the family at the funeral table or to the altar. There are white songpyeon, mugwort songpyeon, and seam songpyeon depending on the color, and there are red bean paste, sesame seeds, soybean paste, chestnuts, jujubes, and honey. In Seoul, songpyeon is made like clams, and in Hwanghae-do and Gangwon-do, they make large finger prints. Lately, I've been making creative shapes like flowers and pumpkins!.

The reason why pine needles are peeled when making songpyeon

When I steam songpyeon, I don't just put it in a pot and steam it. At first, I wondered why I was preparing pine needles, but after making songpyeon, I spread pine needles before putting them in a pot to steam!. When I asked, they said that if you spread pine needles and steam them, the scent of pine needles permeates well into the songpyeon when you steam them, giving off a good scent!. And it's a way to consider the convenience of eating. Pine needles prevent the songpyeon from sticking to each other, so it makes it easier to pick up the songpyeon one by one!. Most of the songpyeon sold at rice cake shops these days are steamed without pine needles, so they don't smell like pine trees.

Do you make tteokbokki with songpyeon?

After holidays such as Chuseok, I make and eat tteokbokki with leftover songpyeon!. At first, I thought it was a bit… not so!. Songpyeon is a sweet rice cake, but is it made with tteokbokki? But when I tried it, the taste was good!. The combination of spicy and salty is not bad haha. Sesame and sugar used in songpyeon are also used in tteokbokki, so there is nothing strange about it. If you make it in the style of royal palace tteokbokki, the harmony of sweet and salty is truly excellent.

Have you ever made songpyeon? It's so much fun!. Try eating songpyeon during Chuseok.