Bindaetteok
/ˌbɪn.deɪˈtɒk/noun
A Korean savory pancake made primarily from ground mung beans, often mixed with vegetables or meat.
Did you know?The popular explanation that bindaetteok literally means “bedbug rice cake” is likely a later reinterpretation; scholars connect the name with older Korean terms associated with poverty, though the history remains debated.
Etymological Timeline
Early Korean
Korean
떡 (tteok)
“A broad native Korean term for a cake or food made from grains, especially rice.”
Joseon period
Korean
빈자떡 (binja-tteok)
“A traditional form whose name is commonly interpreted as referring to food associated with poor or needy people.”
19th–20th Century
Korean
빈대떡 (bindae-tteok)
“The modern name for a savory mung-bean pancake; the first element became associated in popular interpretation with 빈대, “bedbug.””
20th Century
Korean
빈대떡
“A widely eaten Korean street food and festive dish, commonly prepared from soaked and ground mung beans.”
Modern English
English
bindaetteok
“An English culinary loanword for the Korean mung-bean pancake.”