My life, as told by a bowl of soup
Every culture has it’s traditions, and though I may have grown up here in Australia, my mother brought many of these traditions over from Korea, and so they became a part of my life and identity. One of these traditions is the serving of ‘Mi-Yok Guk’ (seaweed soup). The soup is high in nutrients and believed to help induce breast milk in women who have given birth, as well as helping the body to recover and stimulating the mind, so you can see how this soup has grown to become a staple in most Korean households.
You could say that this soup has founded my family and kept it growing over the years - at every single birthday, we could wake up to the smell of this rich broth bubbling away, and we would start the day with a bowl of this goodness filled soup in the hopes that it would keep us nourished and give us a good start to the next year of our life. After my sister and brother were born, family friends would bore down on us, bringing tubs and tubs of the stuff to keep my tired mother fed and help her to get her strength back. And on those many nights when I had to stay up late whilst studying, more often than not my mother would suddenly turn up in my doorway, bearing a steaming bowl of this soup to keep me going through the night, kissing me on the forehead before going back to bed.
It is definetely an acquired taste and therefore may not be for everyone, but this soup is a part of me, and I hope that one day I’ll be able to make it quite as well as my ma does 
Traditional Mi-Yok Guk (seaweed soup)
Ingredients
30g dried seaweed for soup **
60g flank or sirloin steak, sliced into thin strips
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp Asian sesame oil
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp instant beef stock powder (can replace with dashi)
1.5L water
** There are many different kinds of dried seaweed on the market, and when buying to make soup, make sure that you’re buying the kind used for this sort of soup. It’ll be cheapest and most readily found at Korean grocery stores, double check with the cashier to make sure you’re buying the right thing! Alternatively, you can access an online Korean grocery store for the goods
1. Soak the seaweed strands in warm water till they have become soft and supple, then discard the soaking water and set aside the seaweed for now.
2. Heat a large pot over medium heat, then add the sliced steak, garlic and sesame oil and sauté till the meat has browned nicely. Add the soy sauce and seaweed and sauté for another minute to make sure that the meat and seaweed are taking on the flavour from the garlic and soy.
3. Add the water and stock powder to the pot and stir to make sure that the powder has dissolved, then bring to a vigorous boil. Boil for about 15 minutes, then put the lid on and reduce the heat to a simmer and leave for another 30 minutes, or till the seaweed is very soft and the liquid has turned slightly milky and thickened.
This is my entry for the “Nostalgia” event that I’m running! If you would like to take part but haven’t got a post together yet - not to worry! The deadline is this Friday the 23rd of March so you’ve still got a bit of time yet
Technorati Tags: nostalgia, korean food, korean cuisine, traditional food, korea, seaweed, health food, soup, broth, recipes
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Comments
Tanna Wonderful title, writing and memory! I’d love to try some.
But you don’t really mean November do you?
Ellie Kat - The thing I love about Korean soups/broths is that they are refreshing and warming at the same time I’m glad to hear that you like this too!
Tanna - Cheers! And thanks for picking up the error, have fixed it now 
Mary - It’s good for what ails ya 
Lisa Okay so does the seaweed lend that much of a flavor to the soup? Because by the list of ingredients I can’t see why this would be an acquired taste - it looks and sounds extremely yummy! Course I’ve only had seaweed in my sushi and you said this type is very different.. but hell, I’d be so willing to give it a try! 
Great post for the Nostalgia event!
Ellie Hey Lis The seaweed flavour is a lot more potent than in sushi, but it’s a similar kind of thing It is one of my fave broths and it has the added bonus of being good for me!
Ari (Baking and Books) For some reason I think soups are especially capable of transmitting family memories. Maybe because they are so warm and comforting, like your loved ones? I know I feel that way about my mom’s special caldo (a kind of cabbage soup.)
This looks like a great recipe!
Ellie Ari - I think you’re right about the soup thing, I think most families have at least one soup that gives comfort and warmth both inside and out
Kristen - Thanks hon
Truffle - It’s actually quite a rich tasting broth, but I think that’s one of the things that make it glorious
Peter This soup and spinach soup were staple soups throughout my childhood. Yum. Also, I remember eating many a bowl when sick.
I’ve been looking for a recipe for a while, thanks for posting this!
Ellie Peter - spinach soup is one of our household stalwarts as well I hope you try this recipe and that it is as good as your childhood memories of it
Pamela I was introduced to your site tonight, specifically the Korean recipes section. I’ve been reading through them and getting homesick for my mother’s cooking. (I’m half-Korean.) This dish, in particular, is one of my absolute favorites. I am determined to have my mother teach me more of her recipes the next time I visit, and I’ll be trying some of yours too. Thank you for the wonderful site.
Ellie Pamela - Thanks hon Haven’t posted any new Korean recipes in awhile but I hope to get some new ones up soon which you’ll also hopefully enjoy!
This is often served when eating at Korean restaurants in Hawaii, I love the taste of this and it warms you up too. What a great nostalgic food item.