Mini choco injeolmi at a Cheongju rice cake shop: Tteokmama Gaesin

With a family event coming up, I had so much to prepare and it was really weighing on me. As Jihwan's dad, I was worried about what to give my coworkers and neighbors as gifts. So I went digging around for recommendations for return-gift rice cakes in Cheongju that people said they were happy with. That's how I ended up at Tteokmama Cheongju Gaesin Branch.

Where is Tteokmama Cheongju Gaesin Branch? Hours and parking

Tteokmama Cheongju Gaesin Branch sits right on the road near Bokdae intersection, so it was really easy to find. It's located at 복대로 13, 1st floor, Seowon-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk.

It's open daily from 9am to 9pm, which made visiting convenient. There's also basement parking support in the building, so I parked easily and popped in.

A rice cake shop that looks more like a café

When I first arrived, Tteokmama Cheongju Gaesin Branch felt way more like a stylish café than a traditional rice cake shop. Stepping inside, the space was surprisingly spacious and pleasantly laid out.

You can order drinks from a kiosk, and there's plenty of table seating too. It seemed like a great spot to come with my wife and kids and enjoy rice cakes and drinks together.

The display case that empties your wallet

The display case was packed with rice cakes steamed that very morning using domestic rice, made with real care. From plain baekseolgi (white rice cake) to black sesame injeolmi, the variety was honestly surprising. So many kinds, and so many beautifully decorated ones, that picking just a few was a real struggle.

The packaging for Cheongju dol (first birthday) and 100-day set rice cakes was also very neatly put together. The box packaging and wrapping cloth samples looked so nice they'd make perfect gifts.

Why Tteokmama is an easy pick for return gifts

• Rice cakes steamed fresh every morning the traditional way
• Care taken to use only domestic sweet rice and non-glutinous rice
• Individually packaged for cleanliness and hygiene

No wonder it keeps popping up in every list of recommended return-gift rice cake shops in Cheongju.

There's a lot of demand for custom Cheongju event rice cake orders too, for company gatherings or promotion celebrations. The packaging held together so sturdily that recipients would surely be pleased with the presentation.

The kids' favorite: mini choco injeolmi

That familiar 'why didn't we come here sooner' feeling washed over me. I bought pizza seolgi, kkultteok, and pumpkin castella injeolmi, all things the kids like. Out of everything, the kids' favorite by far was the mini choco injeolmi. You bite into the rice cake and there's chocolate inside, and apparently that was just the best thing.

Pizza seolgi tastes best after a quick spin in the microwave

Back home, tasting it with the family, the rice cake skin was really chewy and elastic. When I heated the pizza seolgi briefly in the microwave, it took on this texture and flavor like melted cheese — it genuinely tasted like eating pizza. One piece wasn't enough, so I ate another.

The sweet fruit chapssaltteok (rice cake stuffed with fruit) and moist yakgwa (honey cookie) were also flavors everyone, young and old, would enjoy.

Group orders and holiday gift sets at Tteokmama

If you're weighing options for a family event or group gift, I'd really recommend checking out Tteokmama Cheongju Gaesin Branch on your list of recommended return-gift rice cake shops in Cheongju. With so much variety, it works well for group gifts and would make a great Chuseok gift set too. Honestly, I wish someone would give me a gift set like this!!!

Trying it firsthand, I found it good value, and both the taste and the care put into it were satisfying. I'd strongly recommend Tteokmama Cheongju Gaesin Branch when you want to say thank you to people who matter to you. Thanks to the delicious rice cakes and clean packaging, my gift prep was completely sorted.