The South Korean New Year's Soup That Adds Another Year To Your Age

For Koreans, a birthday is exactly that: the day that you were born. And though they do a small celebration on this day, it is not the moment that they turn a year older. Instead, people in the peninsula all collectively gain a year on New Year's Day. As in many east Asian countries, this day was traditionally the Lunar New Year, or Seollal. The exact date changes annually but typically falls sometime between late January and early March. Today, however, the Western New Year (January 1st) marks the official gaining of a year for anyone living in South Korea. According to folklore, however, this can only happen if you eat a healthy bowl of rice cake soup, or tteokguk.

Tteokguk's mythical powers are thought to come from the fact that it is very healthy. The stock is usually made with beef, complemented with green onion, seaweed, garlic, and tteok (Korean rice cakes). This makes it filling and nutritious — plus, drinking hot soup is always a great way to keep the cold of winter at bay. 

The clarity of the broth also has a symbolic meaning, as it's meant to reflect purity and bring you good fortune in the upcoming year. Since this food is delicious and easy to make for large numbers of people, it's easy to understand why it is so popular in the peninsula, and why it's importance hasn't swindled, even as South Korea becomes increasingly Westernized.

Tteokguk is so central to Seollal celebrations, that it was common for people to greet someone on this day by asking if they'd eaten it. Essentially, they were asking if you had already turned a year older. While this might seem odd, in Korea, age dictates social relationships. 

You have to address anyone older than you as a senior and talk to them using formal speech. This is why everyone has to change age at the same time. If people turned older on different days, you'd have to remember everyone's birthday, and constantly change how you talk to people. It's simply much easier to know that you are equal to the people who were born in the same year as you, a junior to anyone born in a previous year and a senior to anyone born later.

Nowadays, tteokguk is still eaten in Seollal, but many people also enjoy a bowl on the western New Year. You can find this soup at any time in South Korea, so you'll be able to try it even if you're not visiting during the holiday. (Follow our guide on ordering like a South Korean for the best experience). And if you won't be traveling to this beautiful country anytime soon, you can always make the soup at home. It's relatively easy, so we wouldn't be surprised if you add this to your list of favorite New Year's recipes.