Rice Cake Houses Vie for Younger Crowd

Nakwon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul is a traditional rice-cake district, and the holiday season is the busiest time of the year for some 10 shops concentrated in the area. Their menu includes the glutinous variety, honey-stuffed cakes, cinnamon flavored ones and millet dumplings for birthday parties.

While the golden years, when the number of shops counted over 30, are long gone, shop owners say that the business is slowly reviving recently as office and New Years parties' orders are increasing.

The history of the rice cake district in Nakwon-dong goes back to the 1920's, when court ladies opened shops after the Japanese annexation of Korea. Nakwon Ddeokjip, or rice cake house, the original name-holder, is now run by third generation descendants of the former court lady, and its specialties are five-colored dumplings, W100,000, and Duteopddeok with walnuts, pine nuts, dates and beans fillings, a delicacy consumed only at the palace, priced at W200,000.

The late Hong Gan-nan, founder of Biwon Ddeokjip, opened the shop in the 1940's, with a secret recipe from the Royal Court she learned from a court lady. Ssukgule, rice cake made with mugwort, and Gajeunpyeon, filled with chestnuts, mushrooms and dates, are a few of the specialties of the shop, all priced at W200,000.

The traditional houses have had a makeover to attract the younger generation, with new creations such as Christmas cakes decorated with pine nuts and dates. Lee Jeong-suk, a Jongno Ddeokjip owner, says that youngsters love colorful rice cakes that resemble western bread. Jongno Bok Ddeokjip, opened in 1965, offers traditional teas to compliment the rice cakes, and customer Jo Min-seon says that she prefers rice cakes as a snack to pizza or other fast food.

(Kim Seung-beom, sbkim@chosun.com)