Butter ‘tteok’ craze comes to Shah Alam, where Cake Jalan Tiung’s darker, crunchier take sells out almost every day

In the bustling town of Shah Alam, a food trend from South Korea has captured the hearts (and taste buds) of Malaysians. Cake Jalan Tiung, a local bakery, has put its own twist on the popular butter tteok, a Korean-inspired baked rice cake that has taken the internet by storm. Made with glutinous rice flour and plenty of butter, this dessert-like treat boasts a crunchy exterior, caramelized and rich buttery aroma, and a light, slightly chewy interior reminiscent of mochi.

The combination of crispy, caramelized, chewy, and slightly charred flavors has made it an irresistible hit among Malaysians, who are known for their love of chewy textures. The bakery's creative bakers, Hidzad Bin Lahuree and his wife Nur Shafinaz Binti Abdul Rahman, experimented with the recipe for nearly two months before perfecting it.

They aimed to create a dessert-like version rather than a plain rice cake with a crisp exterior. The result is a darker, more rustic-looking cake with a golden crust and soft center that crackles when bitten into. The secret lies in their high-end oven, special trays, and careful baking techniques to achieve the perfect balance of textures.

Fresh from the oven, the butter tteok is best enjoyed with a small serving of condensed milk for dipping. Cake Jalan Tiung sells around 4,000 sets of the butter tteok daily, with the popularity of the treat showing no signs of slowing down.