
These bite-sized rice cake balls pack a sweet punch -- a chewy exterior meets a honey filling in a classic Korean combination that‘s impossible to resist.
While traditional recipes call for honey, modern versions often opt for sugar instead. Either way, the filling gets an extra coating of sesame seeds, which add a nutty crunch to each bite. Some varieties come in half-moon shapes to grace tables at Chuseok.
The outer layer comes naturally tinted according to its ingredients: plain rice (white), mugwort (green), prickly pear (pink), or sweet pumpkin (yellow). Each flavor adds its own subtle notes beneath the sweetness.
Fair warning: These addictive bites disappear really fast, but since they’re best enjoyed fresh before the texture turns dry and chalky, perhaps that‘s exactly how they should go.
(Kkulddeok, honey rice cake, sweet rice cake with honey filling, Korean glutinous rice cake, chewy honey-filled ddeok)