Miyeok Guk Puns

Today is a special day, it is r/KDRAMA’s 10th birthday! To celebrate we are discussing a traditional birthday food, Seaweed Soup or Miyeok guk ( 미역국). The name “miyeok guk” is fairly straight forward, “miyeok” (미역) is an edible type of seaweed known in English as “sea mustard” or “brown seaweed” whilst “guk” (국) simply means soup. So by simply reading the name we know exactly what it is.

Miyeok guk is also commonly referred to as “birthday soup” as people eat it on their birthdays. But it is not limited to special occasions, seaweed soup is a perfect side dish for any meal.

Other than on birthdays, miyeok guk may also be used to represent one's failure in exams, so, someone may say, “I ate miyeok guk” rather than say that they bombed their exams. This is because the slippery feel of the seaweed makes people think of slipping up. No one wants an exam to fall on their birthday anyway, but when it happens it’s extra stressful for this reason.

Why is it Eaten on Birthdays?

Traditionally miyeok guk is a food that is eaten by expectant mothers and those who have just given birth. It is believed this started as early as the Goryeo era when people observed whales who had just given birth would take to eating the seaweed over their regular diet. Seaweed is considered to be rich in nutrients (particularly iodine and calcium) that are seen as beneficial to those who are pregnant or nursing.

When choosing the seaweed to make soup for an expecting mother it is customary to choose the widest possible unfolded pieces and spare no cost doing so. This is due to popular belief that folding or cutting the seaweed will lead to a difficult labor and recovery. Rather than folding to make it smaller these sheets are gathered with rope for carrying home from the market.

Some mothers are so dedicated they eat this soup for over 6 months, to the point that they can’t stand the sight of it any longer.

In order to honor one’s mother on their birthday, the day she gave birth, it has become tradition for Koreans to eat miyeok guk as the first meal of the day (where possible).

So, if you prepare miyeok guk for someone to eat on their birthday it is a really nice gesture.

Common variations

Miyeok guk is prepared by boiling pre-soaked seaweed in an anchovy or mussel based broth, adding a protein and seasoning.

The most commonl

I LOVE seaweed. I’ve been purchasing ingredients to make Korean seaweed soup(vegetarian). I made the biggest mistake by using tamari instead of Korean soup soy sauce. Any suggestions on what brand I should buy? Any recipes would be appreciated!

Ingredients

BROTH

7 ounce beef brisket or sirloin tip steaks

4 cloves garlic

8 ½ cup cold water

SOUP

½ cup cut and dried seaweed

2 tablespoons guk-ganjang (Korean soup soy sauce)

1 small garlic clove (about ½ teaspoon) minced or pressed through a garlic press

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Table salt

Ground pepper

Instructions

Place seaweed in medium bowl and cover with cold tap water by 2 inches; let stand for 20 minutes. Wash and drain in a colander.

Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and add garlic cloves and beef. Cover and simmer until meat is tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

Turn off heat and and transfer beef to cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Remove and discard garlic cloves. When beef is cool enough to handle, shred into 1/4-inch-thick pieces using two forks or slice thin against grain.

Use wide, shallow spoon to skim fat from surface of soup. Stir seaweed into soup, cover, and cook on high, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in beef and minced garlic and season with guk-ganjang, salt, pepper, toasted sesame oil, and extra salt to taste.

Here's the link to my recipe and video!

Hello, everyone!

Today is our eleventh birthday so grab yourself a bowl of seaweed soup and a slice of cake to celebrate the big day. Kim Tan likes to to keep it simple, so wish him the best and sing him a birthday song as he blows out the candles. This community was created by people who are no longer active here, but we appreciate their efforts. We wouldn't be able to watch and discuss here without them!

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Who's ready to see what's coming up this year?

I made my wife seaweed soup and one of her comments on it was the meat was too chewy. How can I make meats tender when added to soups? I used chuck round sliced thin and cooked it on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes before adding the water and other ingredients.

오랜만이야 / It’s been a while! A couple of months turned into eight spectacularly fast! I did attempt to write this along the way but life and dramas called.

Sujebi (수제비) or hand-pulled dough soup gets its name its original Hanja name “sujeop-eo” (手摺) which literally translates as “su” (수) meaning “hand” and “jeop” (접어) meaning “folded”. Over time this has changed into its current form and pronunciation.

Sujebi is a soup with an anchovy based broth with various sliced vegetables and thinly pulled dough pieces that are torn by hand rather than cut with a knife. Although it is now a popular cheap, warming dish to eat on rainy days that wasn’t always the case.

A Brief History of Sujebi

Earliest forms of sujebi are believed to have appeared back in the early Goryeo period, it was at this time when similar dishes made from wheat flour such as guksu (국수 or noodles) and mandu (만두 or dumplings) were first conceived. However, it wasn’t until the Joseon period that it formally gained its name and people experimented with it as a dish.

During this time it was still relatively rare as a dish, only served at special occasions such as banquets and celebrations.

As farming techniques improved, more wheat became available making the dish more accessible.

After the Korean War there was limited access to rice, flour based dishes like this came to the forefront. Over time the dish became well known as a food of the people which conjures strong memories for many.

Here are a couple of literary examples which showcase the spectrum of feelings towards this dish:

• Shin Na-Hui’s Children’s Poem, “Sujebi” (See paragraph 2 - Korea.net article also includes recipe and information)
• Cecilia Kim’s Memoir, “Sujebi, Again?!”

Common Varieties of Sujebi

Traditionally sujebi’s broth is a simple savoury, non-spicy one made by simmering dried anchovies and kelp, various sliced vegetables are added and finally hand torn dough which is either roughly torn or shaped in round shapes known as "saeal"(새알).

Sujebi is the most common name but what people call this dish can also vary by regional dialect, however it holds the same meaning. In North Korea sujebi is known as “milgaru ddeudeo guk” (밀가루뜨더국) which is a little more

Do your worst!

For context I'm a Refuse Driver (Garbage man) & today I was on food waste. After I'd tipped I was checking the wagon for any defects when I spotted a lone pea balanced on the lifts.

I said "hey look, an escaPEA"

No one near me but it didn't half make me laugh for a good hour or so!

Edit: I can't believe how much this has blown up. Thank you everyone I've had a blast reading through the replies 😂

It really does, I swear!

They’re on standbi

Pilot on me!!

Dad jokes are supposed to be jokes you can tell a kid and they will understand it and find it funny.

This sub is mostly just NSFW puns now.

If it needs a NSFW tag it's not a dad joke. There should just be a NSFW puns subreddit for that.

Edit* I'm not replying any longer and turning off notifications but to all those that say "no one cares", there sure are a lot of you arguing about it. Maybe I'm wrong but you people don't need to be rude about it. If you really don't care, don't comment.