Songpyeon
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| Songpyeon | ||||||||
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 Mujigae songpyeon, a variety of songpyeon |
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Songpyeon (pronounced [soŋpʰjʌn]) is a traditional Korean food made from glutinous rice. It is a variety of tteok, consisting of small rice cakes traditionally eaten during the Korean autumn festival, Chuseok. They have become a popular symbol of traditional Korean culture. Songpyeon are half-moon-shaped rice cakes filled with sesame seeds or chestnut paste steamed over a layer of pine needles, which gives them the fragrant smell of fresh pine trees. They used to be made into various shapes with the participation of family members and were often exchanged between neighbors. They are eaten on Chuseok and other festive days.
Unlike China's mooncake, which is round and also eaten on the Mid-Autumn Festival in China, Korean people made songpyeon in the half-moon shape because they regarded the half moon as a symbol of expansion and development, while the full moon no longer expands, but has to wane.
The earliest records of songpyeon date from the Goryeo period.
