The garaeddeok can be served both fresh, roasted, or used in rice cake soup.
The rice syrup is made by first by steaming soaked rice to make godubap (고두밥). The godubap is mixed with barley malt (엿기름)– the best barley malt is the one bought by the scoop from a market. This is mixed with warm water and kept warm for 6+ hours. The starch converts to sugar. The solids are strained and squeezed from the sweet liquid. The liquid is then boiled down to a syrup.
The rice cakes are made with wet-milled non-glutinous rice flour (습식 멥쌀가루). This flour is steamed, kneaded, and shaped. They can be eaten as is, roasted, or used in rice cake soup. I roast them in the air fryer, but they can be done in a pan, over an open flame etc.