Jeungpyeon

Steamed spongy rice cake leavened with rice wine, topped with colourful garnishes.

Jeungpyeon is a uniquely leavened Korean rice cake that uses makgeolli (rice wine) as a rising agent, giving it a subtly tangy, slightly fermented flavour and a spongy, open crumb that is unlike any other tteok in the Korean repertoire. The batter is left to ferment for several hours before steaming, a process that creates small air pockets throughout the cake and imparts a gentle yeasty aroma. Historically, jeungpyeon was considered especially suitable for summer because the alcoholic content helped the cakes resist spoilage in the heat, and they were commonly made for summer ancestral rites and harvest celebrations when other rice cakes would quickly mould. The surface is traditionally decorated with colourful toppings pressed into the batter before steaming: jujube slices, black sesame seeds, dried chrysanthemum petals, and chestnuts create intricate patterns that make each cake as visually pleasing as it is delicious. Contemporary Korean food researchers and traditional cuisine chefs have been working to revive jeungpyeon's popularity, positioning its fermented complexity as Korea's answer to sourdough culture.