Jeju café for freshly made omegi-tteok tasting: Suragan Tteokbang

Omegi-tteok I picked up before leaving Jeju

Whenever I visit Jeju, I look for gifts to take home, and Jeju omegi-tteok is one thing I often pick up. This time, I stopped by Suragan Tteokbang (수라간떡방) in Nohyeong-dong, Jeju, to try Jeju omegi-tteok.

Rice cakes and gift sets prepared in the shop

As soon as you walk in, there is a tempting display of rice cakes. From yakgwa (honey cookies) to jeolpyeon (steamed rice cakes), glutinous rice cakes, songpyeon (half-moon rice cakes), and honey-filled rice cakes... so many kinds are sold here.

Further inside, I could see the production area where the rice cakes are made. The staff were wearing sanitary uniforms and caps, and both the shop and the production space were kept very clean.

Along with omegi-tteok, this Jeju rice cake shop sells rice cake cakes, first-birthday rice cakes, thank-you rice cakes, celebration rice cakes, wedding gift rice cakes, and opening-day rice cakes. For Jeju gifts, omegi-tteok costs ₩1,000 each, with choices ranging from 5 pieces for ₩6,000 to 50 pieces for ₩50,000. For gifting, the 20-piece package at ₩22,000 and the 30-piece package at ₩30,000 looked just right.

Nationwide delivery is available, and gift and return-gift boxes were prepared in different purposes and combinations. There is currently a Naver receipt-review event where purchases of 30 pieces or more receive two extra omegi-tteok. They say the rice cakes are made without chemical additives, so they seem like a good option for children's snacks or for anyone who looks closely at ingredients.

Six omegi-tteok flavors

A variety of omegi-tteok flavors

Until now, I had only tried traditional red-bean omegi-tteok, but Suragan Tteokbang has six flavors: red bean, nuts, soybean powder, black sesame, tangerine, and barley. It was fun choosing according to my taste, and since each one was individually wrapped, they were easy to eat and share.

A reservation pickup of 20 freshly made rice cakes

I wanted to eat rice cakes made that day right away, so I reserved a pickup order. It had 4 red-bean omegi-tteok, 4 nut omegi-tteok, 4 soybean-powder omegi-tteok, 4 black-sesame omegi-tteok, and 4 tangerine omegi-tteok: 20 pieces total, with 4 each of five varieties, for ₩22,000. With delivery included, it is ₩27,000.

Once I received them, I could not resist trying one in the car. The red bean filling in the omegi-tteok was so soft and nutty. I also liked that they were not overly sweet overall. I recommend having them freshly made and ordering delivery, too. Haha.

How should you store omegi-tteok?

How to store omegi-tteok

After buying omegi-tteok, it is best to take all but the amount you will eat right away out of the box, spread them out, and freeze them. Since rice cakes delivered by courier are difficult to thaw naturally, I recommend removing the wrapping, cutting them roughly in half, and heating them in the microwave for about 20–30 seconds. Mugwort omegi-tteok can occasionally contain visible mugwort stems, so keep that in mind when purchasing.

Tasting everything from tangerine to black sesame

Before putting them in the freezer, I tried the tangerine, nut, and red-bean omegi-tteok. The tangerine omegi-tteok was wonderfully fresh and much tastier than I had expected. The familiar soybean-powder rice cake and the kabocha black-sesame rice cake were all delicious, too. After leaving them in the freezer briefly and taking them out just before they froze, they were even chewier and cooler—a different kind of treat. This rice-cake lover is happy. :)

Omegi-tteok for Jeju gifts

Suragan Tteokbang, a great place for gift-worthy Jeju omegi-tteok

There are many kinds of omegi-tteok, and above all, they taste great. They are individually wrapped neatly, and you can also choose your preferred flavors for a box. If you are looking for somewhere to buy gifts in Jeju, it is close to the airport and near the Hyatt Hotel in Nohyeong-dong, so I think it would be nice to stop by, have a taste, and order delivery.

Suragan Tteokbang information

• Address: 41 Noyeon-ro, Jeju-si, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, South Korea (제주특별자치도 제주시 노연로 41; 노형동 914-9)
• Hours: Daily 08:00–18:30
• Parking: Space for 3 cars in front of the shop; street parking is said to be available for about 10 minutes.