Tteokbokki is a representative Korean street-food dish enjoyed by people of all ages and genders. Recently, actor Lee Jung Eun, 56 years old, revealed that she likes dipping sundae and fried foods into tteokbokki sauce.
On the YouTube channel ‘Salon Drip,’ which was released on the 29th, Lee Jung Eun said she “likes tteokbokki” so much that she once participated in an online cafe sharing information about popular tteokbokki restaurants. She especially said, “I like tteokbokki sauce,” adding, “You have to dip fried foods and sundae into the sauce.”
◇Rice cakes are high in carbohydrates, so watch your blood sugar
Rice cakes, the main ingredient in tteokbokki, are primarily made from rice or wheat flour and are high in carbohydrates. Therefore, eating a large amount can cause blood sugar to rise quickly. In fact, a study published in the 2021 international academic journal ‘Current Research in Food Science’ found that when 39 healthy men were each given white rice and rice cakes, the blood glucose response was greater during the first 30 minutes after consumption when they ate rice cakes. The researchers believed that the greater amount of digestible starch produced as the rice grains were pulverized during the rice-cake-making process may have contributed to the initial rise in blood sugar.
In particular, people who need to manage their blood sugar due to diabetes or other conditions should avoid eating a large amount of tteokbokki at once. One option is to reduce the amount of rice cakes and eat plenty of vegetables such as cabbage or protein foods such as eggs. The dietary fiber in vegetables and protein in eggs can slow the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, which may help ease a sharp rise in blood sugar after meals.
◇Sundae, fried foods and sauce can increase sugar and sodium intake
Care should also be taken with the amount of sundae and fried foods eaten with tteokbokki. Sundae is relatively high in carbohydrates because glass noodles are a main ingredient, while fried foods can be high in fat and calories because the ingredients absorb oil during cooking.
In particular, dipping sundae and fried foods into tteokbokki sauce can further increase sugar and sodium intake. This is because tteokbokki seasoning often contains sugars such as sugar or corn syrup, while gochujang and soy sauce contain sodium. In fact, a study published in the 2022 academic journal ‘Food Science and Preservation’ analyzed 11 commercially available tteokbokki sauces and found that their free-sugar content ranged from 13.45~32.87g per 100g, while their salinity ranged from 2.89~5.77%. Rather than thoroughly soaking sundae or fried foods in the sauce, it is better to eat them with only a moderate amount of sauce.
On the YouTube channel ‘Salon Drip,’ which was released on the 29th, Lee Jung Eun said she “likes tteokbokki” so much that she once participated in an online cafe sharing information about popular tteokbokki restaurants. She especially said, “I like tteokbokki sauce,” adding, “You have to dip fried foods and sundae into the sauce.”
◇Rice cakes are high in carbohydrates, so watch your blood sugar
Rice cakes, the main ingredient in tteokbokki, are primarily made from rice or wheat flour and are high in carbohydrates. Therefore, eating a large amount can cause blood sugar to rise quickly. In fact, a study published in the 2021 international academic journal ‘Current Research in Food Science’ found that when 39 healthy men were each given white rice and rice cakes, the blood glucose response was greater during the first 30 minutes after consumption when they ate rice cakes. The researchers believed that the greater amount of digestible starch produced as the rice grains were pulverized during the rice-cake-making process may have contributed to the initial rise in blood sugar.
In particular, people who need to manage their blood sugar due to diabetes or other conditions should avoid eating a large amount of tteokbokki at once. One option is to reduce the amount of rice cakes and eat plenty of vegetables such as cabbage or protein foods such as eggs. The dietary fiber in vegetables and protein in eggs can slow the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, which may help ease a sharp rise in blood sugar after meals.
◇Sundae, fried foods and sauce can increase sugar and sodium intake
Care should also be taken with the amount of sundae and fried foods eaten with tteokbokki. Sundae is relatively high in carbohydrates because glass noodles are a main ingredient, while fried foods can be high in fat and calories because the ingredients absorb oil during cooking.
In particular, dipping sundae and fried foods into tteokbokki sauce can further increase sugar and sodium intake. This is because tteokbokki seasoning often contains sugars such as sugar or corn syrup, while gochujang and soy sauce contain sodium. In fact, a study published in the 2022 academic journal ‘Food Science and Preservation’ analyzed 11 commercially available tteokbokki sauces and found that their free-sugar content ranged from 13.45~32.87g per 100g, while their salinity ranged from 2.89~5.77%. Rather than thoroughly soaking sundae or fried foods in the sauce, it is better to eat them with only a moderate amount of sauce.