Industry watchers said the new technology can help locally made rice cakes become more accessible around the world than was previously possible. (image: Rural Development Administration)
SEOUL, Apr. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s agricultural promotion agency said Tuesday that it has teamed up with a local university to find ways to preserve rice cakes for up to eight months, paving the way to expand exports.
The Rural Development Administration and Kangwon National University said they have found ways to preserve rice cakes used for tteokbokki, a Korean snack food in red chili pepper sauce, for eight months at room temperature.
The solution can significantly extend the shelf life of rice cakes, which is normally a month in cold storage.
“As rice cakes are vulnerable to mold due to having a high level of moisture, previous methods involved sterilizing the surface and then vacuum sealing,” an official from the administration said.
As the method, however, did not make rice cakes last for a long period, the administration said the new method aimed at preventing any contamination in all processes of the production.
The new technology also has only a limited impact on the overall taste and texture of the end product, it added.
Industry watchers said the new technology can help locally made rice cakes become more accessible around the world than was previously possible.
(Yonhap)
