Grain eaters take note: this is what you had to do to make a rice cake back in the day.

[cyclamen]

I found a traditional tteok (rice cake) pounding video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYYjtNDKAYk

I managed not to make it to the store for rice cakes before it closed, but I have rice and stone bowl and pestle.  So I decided to try making it the traditional way.

According to my mom, grandmother used to make rice cakes this way.  She must have been ripped!

I began soaking my glutinous rice two days ago.

Last night I roasted some lamb neck bones and started stock.

This morning I ground my rice into a coarse meal (used my blender).

Now it is steaming in the steamer, and when it is done I will pound it, shape it, and dry it.

Then add it to my stock with an egg, the meat shredded off the bone, sea salt, and some green onions. 

If I'm lucky we'll have traditional good luck new years soup.

[sapphire_chan]

Keep in mind that in the U.S. "rice cake" usually refers to a pressed cake of vacuum puffed rice. Not the chewy pounded sort of rice cake.

Definitely looks like the sort of recipe where you want to make 100lbs at once and then not do it again for a year!

[cyclamen]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan 

Keep in mind that in the U.S. "rice cake" usually refers to a pressed cake of vacuum puffed rice. Not the chewy pounded sort of rice cake.

Definitely looks like the sort of recipe where you want to make 100lbs at once and then not do it again for a year!

I always forget about those quaker rice cakes, lol.

& No kidding!  I was sweating just watching the video.

Anyhow, I pounded my rice.  Some friends came over for brunch and I made them pound it too!  It was really hard!  Harder than kneading bread dough.  I used the wrong kind of rice (too glutinous, should have used plain short rice) so it was no good for my soup, but I fried it like Japanese mochi and it was pretty tasty.

[sapphire_chan]

Yay! Go you! and w00t for getting friends to work