People soak rice cakes to soften them before cooking. Dried or refrigerated rice cakes can become hard and chewy, making them difficult to cook evenly. Soaking helps rehydrate them, improving their texture and allowing them to absorb sauces or broths more effectively. This step is especially common in dishes like Tteokbokki (Korean spicy rice cakes) or stir-fried rice cakes, ensuring they become tender and chewy instead of overly tough.

For fresh rice cakes, soaking is usually unnecessary, but for store-bought or frozen ones, a short soak in warm water (about 30 minutes) can make a big difference in achieving the perfect texture!