The Korean rice cake soup traditionally eaten on New Year's Day is tteokguk. It consists of sliced garaetteok—long, cylindrical rice cakes cut into thin oval pieces—served in a savory broth, often with beef, eggs, seaweed, scallions, or dumplings.
Eating tteokguk is tied to Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year. The white rice cakes are associated with cleanliness and a fresh beginning, while their elongated shape has been linked symbolically with longevity. Their oval slices can also resemble coins, connecting the dish with wishes for prosperity.
A familiar Korean expression asks whether someone has eaten tteokguk, meaning whether they have celebrated the New Year; traditionally, eating it was also associated with growing a year older. Recipes vary by household and region. Dumplings may be added, producing tteok-mandu-guk, but that remains a variation of the rice-cake soup rather than a different answer to this question.