Our Taste of Home: Ddukbokki

By Rachel Han

“What food reminds you of home?”

I called my mother, Christina Han, and asked her this question. Although I knew what she was going to say, I waited for her response and smiled at her answer.

“떡볶이” or “ddukbokki” is a popular street food dish in Korea made up of rice cake, fish cake, and a spicy sauce. It is served alongside many other toppings and sides, such as green onions, boiled eggs, dumplings, cheese, and more. I could hear the warmth in my mother’s voice as she talked about her favorite dish growing up.

image from koreanbapsang.com

Living in a small neighborhood at a time when poverty in Korea was at a high, ddukbokki was not also cheap and easy to make, but also satisfying to their stomachs. She spoke about how she would go to eat it with her friends after school or how her mother would make it for her on cold days. Ddukbokki is a dish that she associates with friends, family, and a source of warmth on days that may be more difficult than others.

After my mother immigrated to the United States at age 16, the dish always served as a piece of home that she could have whenever she was homesick. Even now, she makes it for all of us and continues to use it as a method of comfort and community. I have always been a happy recipient of the dish and its comfort throughout my life. The warmth of the food and the memories associated with it have kept my mother full in times of need, and continue to feed me as well.