On the morning of Seollal (Lunar New Year), the recipe for 떡국 (rice cake soup) has been attracting attention, with the "Baek Jong-won Beef Tteokguk Recipe" becoming a hot topic.

Baek Jong-won once appeared on a KBS television program, where he shared his unique way of making tteokguk.

The ingredients for Baek Jong-won’s beef tteokguk are simple: tteokguk rice cakes, bulgogi (beef), 2 tablespoons of soy sauce for soup, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, fish sauce, sesame oil, and cooking oil.

First, soak the tteokguk rice cakes in water. Then, stir-fry the beef in a pot. Adding both sesame oil and cooking oil enhances the richness and flavor. You can also try using pork or oysters for a different taste.

While stir-frying the beef, add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce for soup and let it simmer. After that, add water and bring it to a boil, then add the rice cakes and garlic. Season with fish sauce.

Finally, add an egg and some green onions. Transfer the soup to a bowl, and garnish with a thin omelet, seaweed flakes, and pepper to taste, completing Baek Jong-won’s beef tteokguk.

Meanwhile, the tradition of eating tteokguk on Seollal symbolizes wishes for health and prosperity. The long cylindrical rice cakes represent longevity, and the round, coin-shaped rice cakes represent wealth, which is why people eat tteokguk to wish for good fortune and health in the new year.