Miyeok Guk (Korean Seaweed Soup)

The birthday soup tradition: In Korea, a birthday meal almost always includes a bowl of miyeok guk, known as saengil-guk (birthday soup). The custom links the soup to the mother: women eat miyeok guk after giving birth, and a child eats it on their birthday to remember the day they were born. For this reason, many Koreans say that a birthday without miyeok guk feels incomplete. There is also an exam superstition: because miyeok is slippery, some students avoid the soup on the morning of a big test, afraid that they might slip up. It is a playful belief, not a rule.

Buying and soaking dried miyeok: Look for dried miyeok or dried wakame in bags at Korean and other Asian grocery stores, in Japanese wakame packs, and online. The pieces may be cut short or sold as long folded strands; either works. The most common mistake is soaking too much. A small handful turns into a large bowl, so measure by weight (15 g) rather than by eye, or the soup will turn into seaweed with a little broth. If you soak too much, the extra keeps in the fridge for 2 days in water, or you can add it to a salad or miso soup. Do not soak it for hours, as it turns mushy. Salted wakame sold in the refrigerated section needs only a quick rinse, and it is saltier, so use less soy sauce.

Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang): This is a lighter-colored, saltier Korean soy sauce made for seasoning soups without turning the broth dark. It is sold in Korean grocery stores, often with the label guk-ganjang or soup soy sauce. If you don't have it, use 1 tbsp regular soy sauce and add salt at the end. The soup will be a little darker, which is fine.

If it doesn't taste right: A thin, watery soup usually means the stir-frying step was skipped or the beef and seaweed were not fried long enough in the sesame oil. A bitter or fishy taste comes from not rinsing the miyeok well, or from too much fish sauce. A very salty soup is easy to fix by adding a splash of hot water. Beef that is tough was usually cut too thick or cut with the grain.

Beef cuts and other proteins: Brisket and shank give the richest broth but need longer simmering, up to 1 hour for tender pieces. Sirloin or stew beef is quicker and still tasty. For a seafood version, replace the beef with 1 lb (450 g) of mussels or clams, scrubbed and with the beards removed. Use 1 tsp sesame oil to cook the garlic and seaweed first, add the water, and add the shellfish in the last 5 to 8 minutes, until the shells open. Discard any that do not open. For chicken, use 4 oz (115 g) boneless thigh and simmer for 20 minutes.

Vegetarian and vegan version: Skip the beef and the fish sauce. Soak 4 dried shiitake mushrooms and a 4-inch (10 cm) piece of dried kelp (dashima or kombu) in the water for 30 minutes, then use that water for the soup and slice the shiitake into the pot. Check the soup soy sauce label for fish or other animal ingredients, because some brands add seafood extracts. For gluten-free soup, check that your soy sauce has no wheat.

A note on iodine: Seaweed is naturally high in iodine. It is a normal part of Korean cooking, but if you have a thyroid condition or are advised to limit iodine, ask your doctor about how much seaweed soup is right for you.

Storage and reheating: Refrigerate leftover soup in a covered container for up to 3 days. The seaweed keeps soaking up the broth, so the soup thickens; add a splash of water when reheating. In Korea, miyeok guk often tastes better the next day. Freeze it for up to 1 month without the rice.

What to serve with it: Steamed short-grain rice is traditional, and many Koreans spoon the rice right into the soup. Add a few simple side dishes, such as Korean Spinach Side Dish and Korean Cucumber Salad, and for a birthday spread, Japchae and Beef Bulgogi. If you like soups with more punch, try Doenjang Jjigae or Sundubu Jjigae.