It's the beginning of midterm season, and the amount of reading that must be done is just excruciating. In the midst of studying (a.k.a. reading the same sentence over and over due to continuously blanking out), I could only think of one food that sparked my appetite.
Ddeok Bokki.
"How on Earth do you pronounce that?"
That's the first thing you might ask. 'Ddeok', which means rice cake in Korean, is pronounced like 'duck', with a hard emphasis on the beginning 'd'. 'Bokki', pronounced 'b-oh-ki', simply means something that is mixed together.
Ddeok Bokki is a casual yet popular Korean dish, and in South Korea, it is as common as hot dogs that can be found in many streets of Toronto. Ddeok Bokki (떡볶이), as my Polish friends like to call it "Magma Lava", has a level of spiciness that is certainly not for the faint hearted (it could be prepared mild as well ).
 |
| Ddeok Bokki ($5.99) from Bulgogi House located on Yonge and Sheppard. Most Ddeok Bokki dishes that I have tried in Toronto are not as spicy as I hoped, so have courage, and try them! |
The rice cakes are drowned in a red hot pepper paste, with slices of sweet fish cakes and bits of green onions, topped with savory sesame seeds.
Rice cakes, as many of you know, are very chewy, and if chewed very slowly, one can notice a slight sweet taste of them as well. The perfect combination of spiciness and the sweetness of the red hot pepper paste is what makes this dish absolutely addicting. The addition of caramelized onions, fish cake slices and sesame seeds are the finishing touches to this dish, and just looking at the mouthwatering dish triggers the secretion of gastric juice in my stomach (yes, I am studying the process of digestion for my midterm).
 |
| Tempting fish cake slice in Ddeok Bokki |
I think I can hear the Ddeok Bokki dish calling my name. I must get my hands on it ASAP!
So, I urge all of you to go out and try this highly addictive dish. It's affordable, casual, fun to share with your friends and family, and for those of you who long to try something new, Ddeok Bokki will undoubtedly satisfy your adventurous souls!
By Athos
