By Honorary Reporter Thariq Hafidz from Indonesia
Photos and Videos= Thariq Hafidz

The Korean Cultural Center in Indonesia on Nov. 27 held a free monthly event for Korean Culture Day under the theme "Korean street food" at the restaurant Dookki Korean Topokki Buffet at Central Park Mall in Jakarta.

The event featured tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) and eomuk (fish cake) and allowed participants to cook for themselves. They also got to mix the spices they wanted according to their tastes.

Tteokbokki is made from rice flour seasoned with spicy and sweet gochujang (red pepper paste). A popular snack served at a pojangmacha (street food kiosk), tteokbokki originated from the royal cuisine of the Joseon Dynasty. At the time, the dish was known as gungjung tteokbokki cooked with soy sauce, thus its taste was far different from today's version seasoned with spicy chili.

Eomuk is found throughout Korea at food stores, supermarkets, roadside stalls and even restaurants at high-end hotels. Busan's version of the dish is especially famous. The fish cake is usually boiled with hot broth that warms the body, making it a great snack during winter. Eomuk is usually served on a skewer and can also be eaten with soy sauce or chili.

Korea has at least three types of eomuk. The first uses broth made from a turnip mixture, leeks mixed with crab and seaweed to add flavor. Roadside tent stalls offer unlimited broth with eomuk, and some people choose to eat it with spicy red sauce, not broth. The second type is served with mustard and tomato sauce and the third is called eomuk-guk. Other ingredients people add to eomuk are vegetables, pepper and sesame leaves.