Chuseok 추석 Food

Chuseok 추석 (pronounced very closely to Chew Sock) is a harvest moon celebration.  It is the most important holiday in Korea.  People return to their home villages to feast and to pay homage to their ancestors by leaving food offerings on family graves.  Children dress in traditional clothing called Hanbok (한복).  Restaurants and stores shut down.  Some places, like the Korean palaces and other places of cultural value, stay open and host special events.  (I'll blog about 한복 and special events on a later post.) 

I had my own little 추석 celebration of Korean food.  Some of it was traditional to 추석 and some not.  I ate on the floor in Korean fashion.

From the top center: Tteokbokki (thick rice noodles in fishy spicy red sauce), Roll Cake, Steak with Sesame Leaves (honestly have NO IDEA how that fork got there--must be Kris's), spicy red bean paste, daifuku (sweet, soft rice cake with black bean filling), and on the plate center: Candied rice cakes, Plate right: Manju (baked pastry with sweet white bean filling), Plate left: Medicine cookies (fried rice cookie).

Traditional 추석 gift in an upholstered woven bamboo case is filled with 추석 sweets, all of which are made of rice.
  This didn't last long in my presence!