Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Seeon Kim. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Seeon, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Growing up in Korea, some of my most cherished memories revolve around sharing “Tteok” (Korean traditional rice cakes) with the people I loved. My grandmother would wake early to make Tteok for everyone’s birthdays, the Lunar New Year, and life’s many milestones. It wasn’t just dessert; it was a gesture of care. A way to say, “I’m thinking of you,” without words. These quiet but sweet moments of giving and receiving Tteok defined what togetherness meant to me growing up.

After moving to the United States, I found myself disconnected from those roots—both culturally and emotionally. In modern life, especially in this digital world, it’s easier than ever to be isolated from people who you care. Social connections happen through screens and social medias. Gathering and Community becomes optional. And as someone working in IT within a remote-first environment, I felt this shift even more deeply. There was a growing ache for something tactile, something real, and something that brings me back to myself and my heritage.

The idea for my business didn’t come all at once. It started as a personal ritual, recreating rice desserts I grew up with, as a way to reconnect with home and family. Slowly, it evolved into something real: a way to share that care with others. What excited me most wasn’t just the nostalgia or the steam from the rice steamer—it was the deeper meaning embedded in rice itself. In Korean culture, rice isn’t just a core ingredients in Korean cuisine, it’s a symbol of life, love, and community. It carries the weight of generations, and the warmth of home.

That’s where the idea of “a grain of caring” came from. It’s a motif that carries through everything I make. This isn’t just a dessert business. It’s a story of reconnection with my root and introducing the Korean way of caring for others “Jung”. A way to offer modern comfort that’s deeply rooted in our heritage. And in a world that can often feel impersonal, I believe this sweet act of sharing is more needed than ever.

Seeon, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I come from a background in digital design and art. I’ve spent years in the creative industry, working with pixels and interfaces, but at some point, I found myself yearning for something more real, something that allowed me to create with my hands again. That’s how my journey into traditional Korean rice desserts began. As a person who returns to the roots of why I became a designer in the first place, to craft, to connect, and to create meaning through beauty.

What started as a quiet personal project to reconnect with my heritage has grown into a business rooted in both cultural preservation and modern celebration. I specialize in artisanal Korean rice cakes (tteok cakes), made with time-honored recipes passed down through generations. Each piece is handcrafted with care and decorated with hand-piped Korean bean cream flowers, turning traditional desserts into meaningful centerpieces for life’s most important moments.

In addition to our custom dessert offerings, I’m also planning to host workshops designed to bring people together through shared curiosity, creativity, and culture. These workshops are more than just hands on classes, they’re a space to meet others, connect, and build community through food and craft.

What sets my work apart is not just the visual artistry or traditional technique, but the intention behind it: to archive, honor, and reintroduce the beauty of Korean culinary culture through flavor, texture and experience.y. I’m hoping to see my brand would exists to celebrate, to share, and to spark meaningful moments; one grain of rice at a time.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

Yes, I personally craft all of my products by hand. After working in IT for years, I was laid off and found myself in a strange moment of depression. I was disoriented. I took it as an opportunity to pause and reconnect with something I’d been missing for a long time. I flew back to Korea and began exploring the world of traditional desserts I had loved as a child but never had the chance to fully pursue.

I enrolled in Korean dessert classes and immersed myself in learning the history, philosophy, and techniques behind tteok and other rice-based sweets. It was definitely a challenge. These recipes are incredibly delicate and require deep focus, patience, and precision. It took time to train both my hands and my mindset, but I fell in love with the craft itself. The process brought me back to the joy of artistry and the satisfaction of making something with care.

When I returned to the U.S., I brought with me not just the tools and techniques, but also a renewed sense of purpose. I started producing these desserts myself by hand, from scratch; with the goal of introducing the flavor, texture, and beauty of Korean rice cakes to a broader audience. Every product is made in small batches, using traditional methods with a modern twist that speaks to the U.S. market.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that craftsmanship takes time, and that’s okay. There’s still so much I’m learning as I find that sweet spot between honoring tradition and innovating for a new cultural context. But through it all, the heart of the craftsmanship has remained the same: offering something meaningful, and delicious that creates a lasting memory for the people who enjoy it.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

My business is still a side hustle, but it holds a much deeper meaning than just something I do “on the side.” As I mentioned earlier, the economic shift and being laid off from what I thought was a stable, long-term career in IT completely changed my perspective. That moment of uncertainty actually became a gift. It helped me reconnect with a passion I’d buried while chasing stability.

Since then, I’ve been gradually building the business—offering handcrafted rice cakes for special occasions and sharing the cultural stories behind each dessert. Some of the key milestones so far have included selling out my first custom Tteok cake orders to a person has never tried Korean traditional desserts, who left as friends, and watching people connect over a dessert many had never tasted before.

While it’s still a side hustle for now, it’s one I treat with full-time heart. The response so far has been incredibly encouraging, and I’m continuing to grow; one grain at a time. with the dream of eventually making this my full-time path in the future. This isn’t just about dessert. It’s about rebuilding something meaningful, both for myself and the people I share it with.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.siroorice.com
• Instagram: @siroo.rice

Image Credits

Myself (Seeon Kim)