Miyeok Guk, Korean Seaweed Soup - Confinement Month # 9

My brother went to Korea lately and bought a large pack of Korean seaweed for his wife and I.  My SIL just had a baby, Arianna 5 weeks before Reuben came by. Yes, he is Reuben for life now. It's black and white in his birth certificate. My dear brother then bought the beef stock powder from Jaya Grocer, googled up a recipe, passed to my mom and taught my mom how to prepare it for my SIL who was in confinement at that time.

Miyeok is Korean for seaweed. It is a traditional confinement food for Korean new mothers. It is not only consumed for confinement, but also for birthdays to remind the birthday girl/boy of the milk the mother passed to them. Miyeok is rich in calcium and iodine and when one breastfeeds, these 2 nutrients are crucial to the nursing mother. It nourishes the mother well when the mother nourishes the baby. It's really draining on the mother if nutrients are not replenished well.

The type of miyeok or seaweed that my brother bought is whole leaf, wild and not cultivated. Therefore, there are bits of shrimp, crab or small bivalves clinging to the seaweed. You can use wakame if you cannot get miyeok. I broke up the miyeok to measure and cook. The seaweed is a PITA to photograph. Not only the seaweed, the whole dish is super difficult. Later only I remembered the external flash that is in the dry box. I should've used that but too bad, I ate up the soup and had it digested already, and I am too lazy to prepare another visually nice bowl of soup. Garnishing is a chore.

Took this pic after I remembered my flash and it's so much clearer. Darn it!

LOL.

The miyeok was about 1 feet long when it was passed to me after my SIL took her portion.

I had to break some each time whenever I cook this soup. It will take me forever to finish this portion of miyeok.

Miyeok Guk
Recipe adapted from: SgMummy

6gm miyeok (weigh, as visual approximation can really differ alot)
1 clove garlic
1 tsp sesame oil (smashed or chopped, as you like)
1 cup water
1/4 tsp beef stock powder (optional, or u can use any stock powder you prefer)
few slices of meat (beef, chicken or pork, or fish)

1. Soak in cold tap water miyeok for 15 minutes. Drain and cut smaller of they are big.
2. Heat a saucepan on medium low heat. Put in sesame oil and saute garlic until fragrant.
3. Put in miyeok and cook for a while.
4. Put in water, bring to a boil. The soup will turn whitish.
5. Put in meat slices and bring back to a boil.
6. Put in stock powder or season with salt.