{
  "id": 9476758,
  "title": "Fusion rice cakes bring new energy to traditional markets",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/fusion-rice-cakes-bring-new-energy-to-traditional-markets",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-24T03:42:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/lifestyle/20260924/fusion-rice-cakes-bring-new-energy-to-traditional-markets"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As the Chuseok holiday approached, Pungnyeon Tteok, a rice cake shop in Incheon's Bupyeong Traditional Market, experienced a surge in customer demand. Rather than the traditional \"songpyeon\" rice cake, people were lining up for \"pizza seolgi,\" a unique fusion treat topped with tomato sauce, cheese, and pepperoni slices. Despite a restriction of four pieces per person, the demand remained high, with the shop owner, Hwang Seong-un aged 50, reporting daily visits averaging around 1,000. The pizzas typically sold out between 5:30 and 6 p.m., but this time, the supply ran out at 5:40 p.m., leading to the shop closing for the day. Social media buzz surrounding new and unusual rice cake varieties, particularly among younger generations, contributed to the popularity of \"pizza seolgi,\" sparking new slang terms in the process.",
  "summary": "A few days before the Chuseok holiday, a long line of customers stretched past three neighboring stores outside Pungnyeon Tteok, a rice cake shop in Incheon’s Bupyeong Traditional Market earlier this week. They were not waiting for “songpyeon,” the traditional rice cake associated with Chuseok, but for “pizza seolgi,” a fusion rice cake topped with tomato sauce, cheese and pepperoni slices on a…",
  "key_points": [
    "Pungnyeon Tteok sells out pizza seolgi during Chuseok holiday",
    "Unique fusion treat topped with tomato, cheese, pepperoni",
    "Shop owner Hwang Seong-un sees 1,000 daily visitors"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The sudden craze for fusion rice cakes like pizza seolgi signals a shift in traditional market offerings to appeal to younger shoppers and refresh classic holiday treats.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Fusion rice cakes bring new energy to traditional markets",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/fusion-rice-cakes-bring-new-energy-to-traditional-markets-9480271",
        "published": "2026-09-24T04:02:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}