Black Garlic Tteok & Cheese

Sam Burgess
Jul 11
3 min read

Creamy pasta in a black dish next to a brown plate with sliced veggies, a knife, and green onions. Black slate and red cloth backdrop.

Cheese labeled "Black Garlic," green onions, a knife, red spice in a bowl on a wooden board, with a grater in the corner.

Mac and cheese is a timeless American classic—simple, nostalgic, and endlessly satisfying. But if you’re a fan of Korean food, you know there’s another comfort dish that brings equal joy: tteokbokki (떡볶이). With its spicy, chewy, and savory goodness, cheesy tteokbokki is basically Korea’s answer to mac & cheese. And since Korean cuisine loves to incorporate cheese into its spicy dishes, this fusion couldn’t make more sense! To take things up a notch, we added black garlic Gouda cheese—yes, from Costco—for an extra hit of umami, sweetness, and cultural ambiguity.

Knife slicing green onions on a wooden cutting board, with some whole onions in the background and a clear bowl nearby.

Tteokbokki is a popular Korean street food made with chewy rice cakes (tteok) simmered in a rich, spicy-sweet gochujang sauce. The rice cakes, known as garaetteok, are made from glutinous rice flour that’s steamed, pounded, and rolled into logs before being sliced. When cooked, they develop a signature chewy, bouncy texture, known in Korean as “jjolgit-jjolgit.” You can make them from scratch or use store-bought versions (like we did) and revive them with a quick soak or boil. Their ability to absorb sauce while maintaining bite is what makes tteokbokki so addictively delicious.

To add a gourmet twist, we incorporated a block of black garlic Gouda cheese we discovered at Costco. Black garlic is made by slowly fermenting whole garlic bulbs under controlled heat and humidity for several weeks. The result is a deep black clove with a soft, spreadable texture and a complex, sweet-savory flavor, often compared to molasses or balsamic vinegar. Paired with the creamy melt of Gouda, it creates a silky, umami-packed sauce that clings beautifully to the rice cakes—an unexpected but incredible upgrade to classic cheese tteokbokki.

A fork holds creamy rice cake topped with colorful julienned veggies. Plate and knife visible in the background; vibrant and appetizing.

To balance the richness of the dish, we topped it with a spicy and refreshing Korean scallion salad. Inspired by traditional Korean pa muchim, we thinly sliced scallions into long strips and let them curl in an ice water bath. The dressing is a bold mix of gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), sesame oil, soy sauce, and white vinegar—bringing heat, tang, and crunch. Be sure to dress the scallions just before serving to preserve their crisp texture. Together, the creamy, spicy, and savory elements come together in a dish that’s comforting, bold, and truly unforgettable.

Black Garlic Tteok & Cheese

Plate of sliced vegetables, metal knife, scallions, and a bowl of creamy pasta on a red cloth. Dark surface contrasts bright colors.

Mac & cheese is a classic cookout side dish that got a whole new look with pillowy and chewy tteokbokki, or Korean rice cakes! Up the flavor by adding some savory and aromatic black garlic to the sauce, and serve it up with spicy scallion salad.

Recipe and Photography by Sam Burgess

Forge To Table Knives

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 cup scallions, sliced lengthwise, soaked in water to help them curl
1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons white vinegar
2 pounds tteok-bokki (tubular rice cakes)
1 cup half-and-half cream
3 cups black garlic Gouda, grated (see notes for substitution)
½ cup mozzarella - grated
¼ cup - 1 cup hot water
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Directions:

SCALLIONS. Using a Forge To Table 6” Utility Knife, slice the scallions into 2-inch pieces. Slice those lengthwise and rocking the knife back and forth, slice into thin matchsticks. Place them in a bowl of water to let them stay crunchy.
SPICE DRESSING. In a small bowl, combine gochugaru chili flakes, sesame oil, soy sauce, and white vinegar. Set aside.
SOAK. Soak tteokbokki rice cakes in hot water for 5 minutes or until softened. Use this time to grate cheese. Reserve 1 cup of hot water, drain, and set aside.
CHEESE SAUCE. Heat half and half cream in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once simmering, add grated black garlic gouda and mozzarella cheeses, salt, and black pepper (add black garlic paste here if using). Stir and cook until melted, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes.
RICE CAKES. Add the soaked rice cakes and stir until they are evenly coated in cheese sauce. Add ¼ cup - 1 cup hot water to thin out the sauce. Simmer together for about 2 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat.
SCALLION SALAD. Drain the sliced scallions and mix with the gochugaru dressing. Serve the dish warm with a sprinkle of the spicy scallions on top. Enjoy!