Miyeok guk
Encyclopedia
Miyeok guk is a Korean soup made from the sea vegetable miyeok. It comprises two words: miyeok, the Korean word for the sea vegetable; and guk
, meaning "soup
."
Miyeok guk is typically consumed by women after giving birth as miyeok contains a high content of calcium
and iodine
, nutrients that are important for nursing new mothers. Many women consume it during the pregnancy phase as well. It is also traditionally eaten on birthdays for this reason, 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.
Because it is known as a highly nutritious soup, it is widely consumed in homes and restaurants in Korea.
There are various methods of making miyeok guk, but it is usually made by soaking dried miyeok in water until it softens and adding the seaweed in soup stock. The stock may be made from beef
and/or seafood such as mussel
s, clam
s and dried fish. The soup is seasoned with soy sauce or salt, additional flavoring added with minced garlic and sesame oil.
Guk
Guk , also sometimes known as Tang , is a class of soup-like dishes in Korean cuisine. Guk and tang are commonly grouped together and regarded as the same type of dish, although guk is more watery and a basic dish for the Korean table setting, and is usually eaten at home...
, meaning "soup
Soup
Soup is a generally warm food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth.Traditionally,...
."
Miyeok guk is typically consumed by women after giving birth as miyeok contains a high content of calcium
Calcium
Calcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
and iodine
Iodine
Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The name is pronounced , , or . The name is from the , meaning violet or purple, due to the color of elemental iodine vapor....
, nutrients that are important for nursing new mothers. Many women consume it during the pregnancy phase as well. It is also traditionally eaten on birthdays for this reason, 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.
Because it is known as a highly nutritious soup, it is widely consumed in homes and restaurants in Korea.
There are various methods of making miyeok guk, but it is usually made by soaking dried miyeok in water until it softens and adding the seaweed in soup stock. The stock may be made from beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
and/or seafood such as mussel
Mussel
The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...
s, clam
Clam
The word "clam" can be applied to freshwater mussels, and other freshwater bivalves, as well as marine bivalves.In the United States, "clam" can be used in several different ways: one, as a general term covering all bivalve molluscs...
s and dried fish. The soup is seasoned with soy sauce or salt, additional flavoring added with minced garlic and sesame oil.