Let's start by explaining what tteok is. Quite simply, tteok refers to cakes of different shapes and sizes made from glutinous rice flour. These cakes range from large slabs to tiny concoctions. The cooking process typically involves shaping the rice flour and then steaming or boiling it. However, there's more than one way to skin a tteok, as I learned on my tour of the folk village in Namsan during Chuseok: it's also beaten, pounded, and pan-fried.