The Korean Way to Make String Cheese 10x Better

Justine Lee

14 January 2025 at 5:15 pm·3-min read

I grew up on string cheese. It was the quick, portable snack I reached for when I rushed home from school before I needed to head right back out to sports practice. Even today, my fridge is never without a pack of low-moisture mozzarella string cheese because I never know when I need a quick hit of energy and protein. But a quick bite isn't just all that string cheese is good for. It's easy to dress up string cheese into a super satisfying snack (or fun party app) by taking a cue from Korean street food. All you need is one additional ingredient: Korean rice cakes, or tteok.

What is Tteok?

Tteok is a general term for Korean rice cakes. Made from steamed and pounded rice, tteok can be shaped into different forms. There are two common shapes you can find at an Asian grocery store: round, flat ovals and chubby cylindrical rice cakes. What makes tteok of any kind truly irresistible is its texture.

The chewiness of tteok is unique as it feels very soft when you bite it, and it only gets softer and bouncier when you heat it up. When cooked in soups and sauces, tteok becomes plump like a dumpling. But if you ask me, the brilliance of Korean rice cakes is truly unlocked when you grill it on its own or maybe definitely absolutely with string cheese.

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Why Pairing Rice Cakes with String Cheese Is a Game-Changer

Cheese tteok kkochi, or grilled string cheese and rice cake skewers, is a popular street food in Korea for a reason. Typically when you get one from a street vendor, they will ask or provide you with the option to top the skewer with spicy gochujang sauce or sweetened condensed milk (don't knock either until you try them!). Tteok add a chewy, savory base that is perfect with the warm, creamy richness of string cheese, creating a delicious balance of textures and flavors.

How to Make Grilled String Cheese and Rice Cake Skewers

All you need to make cheese tteok kkochi, is string cheese (preferably low-moisture mozzarella), cylindrical rice cakes, a cooking fat, like butter or ghee, and sweetened condensed milk for an optional (but recommended) garnish.

Cook the rice cakes in a pot of boiling water until softened, which should take 2 to 3 minutes. Unwrap the string cheese and cut the sticks to match the length of the rice cakes. Using a wooden skewer or chopstick, skewer the rice cakes and cheese sticks alternatively, creating a snack raft.

Melt butter or ghee in a medium skillet over medium heat. Place the skewers in the pan and cook until the rice cakes and cheese turn golden brown, which should take only a minute or two. Flip the skewers and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Drizzle with sweetened condensed milk, if desired, and serve immediately.

The fluffy-meets-crisp rice cakes paired with the gooey cheesy create a warm, comforting snack that will melt all your worries away, if only for a moment.

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