Why Do Koreans Celebrate Garaetteok Day on November 11?
Koreans celebrate Garaetteok Day on November 11 because the date is also Farmers' Day (Nongeobin-ui Nal), and the government has promoted it since around 2006 as a way to thank farmers and encourage people to eat more rice. The long white rice-cake sticks called garaetteok look like the number 1, so "11.11" became a playful rice-based answer to the chocolate sticks of Pepero Day on the same date.
What is garaetteok?
Garaetteok is a cylinder-shaped rice cake made from steamed non-glutinous rice flour that is pounded and pushed out into long, smooth sticks. It is chewy, mild and slightly sweet. Fresh garaetteok is soft enough to eat as it is, and it firms up as it cools. Koreans slice it into thin ovals for tteokguk (rice-cake soup), cut it into short pieces for tteokbokki, or simply grill or pan-fry it and dip it in honey or a little sugar.
If you have eaten tteokbokki on a Seoul street, you have already met garaetteok's younger cousin — the thinner sticks are made the same way. Our street food guide covers where to try them.
Why November 11?
Farmers' Day and the shape of the number
November 11 has been Farmers' Day in Korea since 1996. The date was chosen with a little wordplay: if you write 十一 (ten and one) vertically, the characters stack into 土, the Chinese character for soil or earth. Farming starts with soil, so the date fits.
Later, the Ministry of Agriculture and farm groups began promoting the same day as Garaetteok Day. The logic is visual: four sticks of garaetteok standing side by side look like 1111. It is an easy image to remember, and it gives people a reason to buy a Korean rice product on a day otherwise dominated by snacks.
A rice-based alternative to Pepero Day
November 11 is best known as Pepero Day, when friends, classmates and couples swap thin chocolate-coated biscuit sticks. Garaetteok Day grew partly as a counterweight: instead of (or as well as) a packaged snack, people are encouraged to share something made from Korean-grown rice. You can read the story behind the snack side in our Pepero Day 11.11 guide.
Rice consumption per person in Korea has been falling for decades as diets change, which is one reason farm organisations and local governments like to use the day for campaigns.
How people actually celebrate
- Sharing events: farm groups, local offices and some companies hand out garaetteok to passers-by or staff.
- School and office snacks: some schools serve rice cakes at lunch around this date.
- Rice-cake shops: neighbourhood tteokjip (rice-cake shops) and some supermarkets put garaetteok gift sets or decorated rice-cake sticks on display.
- At home: families grill garaetteok, make a pot of tteokbokki, or just eat a fresh stick with honey.
Honestly, Garaetteok Day is a much quieter celebration than Pepero Day. Many Koreans know the name but still buy Pepero. Think of it as a campaign day with a friendly message rather than a big festival.
Hana from POPORO CITY puts it simply: "Pepero for my friends, a warm grilled tteok for me."
Where visitors can try garaetteok
You do not need a special event. Traditional markets in Seoul and Busan usually have rice-cake stalls, and fresh garaetteok is often sold in the morning while it is still soft. Convenience stores and supermarkets sell packaged sticks you can pan-fry. Grilled rice-cake skewers (tteok-kkochi) brushed with sweet chili sauce are a common market snack in colder months.
Quick tips
- Buy fresh garaetteok early in the day; it hardens by evening and is then best grilled or boiled.
- To soften hard sticks, drop them in boiling water for a minute or pan-fry them in a little oil.
- Rice cakes are dense and chewy — take small bites, especially with children or older relatives.
- If you visit Korea around November 11, look for shop displays of both Pepero and garaetteok; it is a fun photo of modern and traditional Korea side by side.
FAQ
Is Garaetteok Day a public holiday?
No. Farmers' Day is an official commemorative day, but neither it nor Garaetteok Day is a day off. Shops, offices and transport run normally.
Is Garaetteok Day replacing Pepero Day?
Not really. Most people still exchange Pepero. Garaetteok Day is promoted alongside it, and some people simply do both.
What does garaetteok taste like?
Plain and mildly sweet, with a soft, chewy texture. It takes on the flavour of whatever it is cooked with, from savoury soup to spicy tteokbokki sauce.
Can I bring garaetteok home as a souvenir?
Fresh rice cake spoils quickly, so it is best eaten in Korea. Packaged, vacuum-sealed rice cakes last longer, but check your home country's food import rules before packing them.