THE TRADITIONS LIBRARY
Chuseok and Songpyeon
Small pieces of rice dough are filled, folded, and shaped by hand. Around the table, experienced hands demonstrate while newer hands learn.
Songpyeon are rice cakes closely associated with Chuseok, one of Korea’s major holidays. Often shaped like half-moons, they can contain fillings such as sesame seeds, beans, or chestnuts.
Making and sharing them is one part of a wider celebration of family, the harvest, and those who came before. For many households, the preparation is as much a part of the occasion as the meal itself.
Shared by:
The Traditions Library
0062
CATEGORY
Cultural Traditions
FREQUENCY
Annually
AGES
All Ages
COST
Flexible
The Story Behind It
Chuseok, also known as Hangawi, is a Korean autumn holiday connected with the harvest. It falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the traditional lunar calendar, usually in September or October.
The holiday has agricultural roots and includes customs of giving thanks, gathering with family, and honouring ancestors. Depending on the household, observances may include food offerings, visits to ancestral graves, shared meals, and games.
Songpyeon are closely connected with the season’s rice harvest. Traditionally steamed over pine needles, the cakes take their name from that association with pine.
Recipes, colours, fillings, and shapes vary across regions and families. Making them together provides a way to pass on practical skills and family knowledge, with conversation unfolding alongside the work.
What You'll Need
If making songpyeon:
• A reliable Korean recipe and the rice flour or rice powder it specifies.
• Filling ingredients, such as sesame seeds, beans, or chestnuts.
• Bowls, utensils, a work surface, and steaming equipment.
• Other ingredients and a steamer lining specified by the recipe.
Alternatively, purchase prepared songpyeon from a Korean bakery or food shop. Check the fillings for anyone’s allergies or dietary needs.
Make It Your Own
For families celebrating Chuseok, follow a recipe connected with your household or explore a regional variation together. Invite someone experienced to demonstrate, and record the little techniques that might otherwise go unwritten.
Share the preparation so everyone can contribute. One person might shape the cakes, another prepare the table, and another write down family stories or take photographs.
If you are discovering the tradition, try a class led by a Korean cook, visit a Korean bakery, or attend a public Chuseok celebration. Learning the names, ingredients, and holiday context adds meaning to tasting the food.
You can also take inspiration from the shared preparation: make time to cook with someone whose knowledge you would like to preserve, and ask about the foods that mark important occasions in their life.
How It’s Done
During the Chuseok holiday period, families may gather to prepare songpyeon together.
Rice dough is divided into small portions, shaped to hold a filling, and sealed before steaming. Half-moon shapes are familiar, though regional versions take other forms. Traditional preparation often uses a layer of pine needles to lend fragrance during steaming.
Family members can share the work of preparing fillings, shaping the cakes, cooking, and serving. The finished songpyeon are enjoyed as part of the holiday’s food traditions and may also be included in ancestral offerings.
Some households purchase their songpyeon instead. Customs and levels of participation differ from family to family.