Last Sunday was my wife’s birthday. What comes to mind when you think about birthdays? For most of us, birthday cakes and blowing candles are very popular images. But in Korea, there is one more thing that all Koreans can associate with birthdays… ‘Seaweed soup!’
I imitated Steve Jobs’ presentation.
Yes, you heard me, ‘seaweed soup’. In Korean, seaweed soup is pronounced ‘‘Miyeokguk”. ‘Miyeok’ is Korean for seaweed; and ‘guk’ is the word for soup.
Today, I will talk about the Korean birthday food ‘Miyeokguk’. First, ‘what is Miyeokguk?’, Second, I will tell you ‘why Koreans eat Miyeokguk on their birthday’.
Okay, Let’s start, what is Miyeokguk? Miyeok is also called sea mustard in English, wakame in Japanese and French, and qúndài cài in Chinese. More than 95% of worldwide production of this seaweed is consumed in Korea, China, and Japan.
I know Seaweed soup may sound strange, and I hope the image doesn’t make the soup seem stranger. I found some photos on Internet. Here is what Miyeokguk looks like! As you can see, there are several different versions of Miyeokguk. But Miyeokguk is basically boiled seaweed soup. It is usually made by soaking dried miyeok in water until it softens and adding the seaweed into soup stock. The stock may be made from beef or seafood such as mussels, clams and dried fish. The soup is seasoned with soy sauce or salt, and additional flavoring is added with minced garlic and sesame oil.
More than other Korean dishes, this soup has a special meaning to Koreans. Why is that? In Korean culture, Miyeokguk is traditionally associated with their birth. Korean mothers traditionally eat this soup for weeks after giving birth since it has long been believed to contain a high content of calcium and iodine, nutrients that are important for nursing new mothers. And actually it is! So Miyeokguk is considered an essential food for new mothers. Many women consume it during the pregnancy phase as well.
Histroically, there is a record that, one thousand years ago, Korean people feed seaweed to new mothers after seeing that the whale eats seaweed to heal the wounds due to calving.
For this reason,miyeok-guk is also traditionally eaten on their birthday. Miyeokguk is a reminder of a mother’s gift of life and a reminder of the first food that the mother has eaten and passed on to her newborn through her milk, thus bringing good fortune for the rest of the year.
As for my personal relationship with Miyeokguk, it is my favorite Korean soup. It’s soft and easy to cook, and easy to digest. And of course it is delicious and healthy! So, I often buy dried seaweed at Korean market and make Miyeokguk.
However, I’ve never made Miyeokguk for myself on my birthday before. Let me explain why.
In Korea, ‘Have you eaten Miyeokguk?’ is a common greeting I can hear on my birthday. It basically means, “does anyone care that it is your birthday?” If the answer is no, it is a little kind of sad. Making your own birthday seaweed soup is like buying your own birthday cake and blow candles alone.
Last Sunday was my wife’s birthday, I woke up early in the morning and made miyeokguk for my wife. Even though I often make Miyeokguk, this is the first time that I make Miyeokguk for her on her birthday. That is becasue my mother-in-law has always made Miyeokguk for her. I made it so delicious.
In conclusion, Miyeokguk is a cornerstone of Korean culture. Everyone eats it on their birthday to honor their Mother and celebrate family. As a bonus, it is healthy!
Seaweed soup might sound strange to you, but if you are adventurous and want to try a different and unique food, talk to me; I can point you to recipes!
