Cycle 14 – Item 18

23 (Mon) January 2023

Rainbow Ddeok Guk

1.5

by me

at home

-Changgok, Sujeong, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea-

with the Family

Korean tradition calls for eating ddeok guk (rice cake soup) on New Year’s Day, originally lunar new year but alternatively solar new year these days (see most recently 13.361 Ddeok Miyeok Guk).

Having recently bought a new car – W likes to buy new cars on a whim (see most recently 10.139 Oyakodon) – she received a New Year’s gift of multi-colored rice cakes from the car company (Mini/BMW).  The rice cakes are infused with natural coloring (e.g., green = mugwort); though they don’t taste any different, I found the color to be somewhat off-putting.

Not a fan of new-fangled rice cakes (see also 14.015 The Uncanny Valley).

(See also HANSIK)