Heungdeok-gu rice cake shop songpyeon storage tips: Tteokmidang

Chuseok with a baby: ordering five-color songpyeon at Tteokmidang

Chuseok (Korean thanksgiving holiday) is already right around the corner. This year is going to be a bit different for us. Since our baby is still too little to travel far, my in-laws are coming to our place this time instead. It's hard to prepare holiday food while caring for a baby, so I thought at least having songpyeon (half-moon rice cakes stuffed with sweet fillings) ready would be nice. That's how I ended up ordering 5-color songpyeon from Tteokmidang, a Cheongju rice cake shop.

• Hours: Mon–Sat 07:00–18:00 (closed Sundays)
• Parking available

Where is Tteokmidang, and is there parking near Lotte Outlet?

Tteokmidang is located near Lotte Outlet, a spot I'd passed by many times before. There's parking inside the building, which makes it really convenient to visit.

Pre-ordering five-color songpyeon for the holiday table

When I think of Chuseok, songpyeon is the first thing that comes to mind. Even while looking after a baby, I wanted to feel some holiday spirit, so I searched for a place where I could pre-order 5-color songpyeon and found Tteokmidang near my house. Because it's five-color, several colors come together in one box, and just looking at it feels festive. I've always liked rice cakes anyway, so I wanted to prepare some to share with family, and the pretty 5-color songpyeon was perfect for putting straight on the table. They also had a variety of Chuseok gift sets ready, which would make great presents too.

Pickup day at Tteokmidang: what the owner said

What I remember most from picking up the rice cakes is how kind the owner was. Lately I've been carrying and caring for my baby so much that my wrist has been strained, so I was wearing a wrist brace, and the owner noticed it right away.

It must be hard with such a young baby — hang in there.

It seemed like such a small thing, but it felt so warm and thoughtful. I'd had such a hectic day, and that one sentence felt like a breath of fresh air.

100-day, first-birthday and thank-you rice cakes to order

Besides songpyeon, they can also prepare a variety of menus like 100-day rice cakes, first-birthday rice cakes, and thank-you rice cakes. My baby's 100 days have already passed, and I'm starting to look into the first birthday party now — I wonder if the older relatives would appreciate rice cakes as the return gift? I'm still thinking it over, since first-birthday parties tend to have a lot of older guests.

How to store songpyeon: room temperature or freezer?

While picking up the songpyeon, I also asked about storage, and the owner kindly explained.

• If you'll eat it the same day or the next day → store at room temperature
• If not eating it right away → freeze it

Rice cakes can change in texture depending on how they're stored, so it was nice to get this kind of guidance ahead of time. I'm setting aside the amount I'll eat on Chuseok day and freezing the rest. If you've ordered a large batch, splitting it up like this based on when you'll eat it is worth keeping in mind.

Five-color songpyeon at home: a holiday snack once it hits the plate

Once home, looking at them one by one, the colors were really pretty. Taste matters, of course, but since it's holiday food, looking nice really lifts the mood at the table too. Because they come in five colors, just arranging them on a plate makes for a gorgeous holiday snack!! During Chuseok there's a lot of time spent eating together as a family, so having some rice cake ready for a light bite after meals is just right. Older relatives love it too, and it pairs well with tea or coffee, so it really felt like a great food to have ready for the holidays. I prepared it to serve when my in-laws arrive, but if you're in a situation where it's hard to spend time on food prep because of a baby, getting songpyeon from a rice cake shop like this is a good option too.

It's the holidays, and I felt like it would be a shame to prepare nothing at all, so I got 5-color songpyeon from Tteokmidang and it put my mind much more at ease 😌 During the holidays, the meaningful part is simply sharing good food with family — this year, with a young baby, I can't prepare for the holiday as leisurely as before, but just being able to welcome family comfortably at home with my baby feels like it'll make for a special Chuseok!

Tteokmidang, a Cheongju rice cake shop, Chuseok 5-color songpyeon recommended ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️