(The other recipe in this video is miyeok-muchim – seaplant salad)
Miyeokguk is made of edible seaweed and is traditionally eaten on birthdays or after giving birth, although you can eat anytime you like. Miyeok is rich in iodine and calcium and many people eat it to lower their cholesterol. The version of the soup is made with beef.
Whenever I meet my mother, she recommends I eat more miyeok and shows me how much she enjoys it by making all kinds of soups and salads with it. She also makes a miyeok wrap with rice and sauce and pops it into her mouth. We all believe it’s good, healthy food.
I used to have a stereotype about people from another culture that they wouldn’t like miyeokguk. When I lived in Korea, I had a friend name Jeanne, an American nun who had been living in Korea for more than 35 years. She always told me how she loved Korea and how it was her adopted hometown! She loved all kinds of Korean traditional food. Of course she could speak Korean just like a Korean.
She said: “There’s one Korean food that I don’t like.”
I asked: “What is it?”
She said: “Miyeokguk.”
I couldn’t help laughing because I expected some kind of weird korean food, not miyeokguk. I was curious about why she didn’t like it. She answered: “It’s slippery in my mouth, ooh, I don’t like the texture.” I laughed again when I heard this.
I hope she’s doing well now. She must be living in somewhere in Chicago. I used to tease her: “Miss Jeanne, would you sit over here?” when we met at the coffee shop. I always wanted her to sit next to me!
Ingredients (for 4-6 servings)
Directions
- Soak 1 cup of dried miyeok in a big bowl for at least 30 minutes. Drain and cut into bite sized pieces.
- Put the soaked miyeok (about 4 cups’ worth) into a big pot and add 16 cups of water. Boil over high heat for 20 minutes. Add more water if the soup gets too thick.
- Cut the beef brisket into bite size pieces. Add the beef and garlic to the pot and boil for another 20 to 25 minutes over medium heat.
- Add the fish sauce and drizzle a few drops of toasted sesame oil on top before serving.
- Serve with rice, if you have it. Put a few spoonfuls of rice (or the whole bowl) into the soup and eat.
Miyeokguk (beef is replaced with mussels)
Posted on Sunday, December 16th, 2007 at 10:47 pm.
Last updated on August 7, 2017.
Tagged: 미역, korean food, Korean recipes, korean seaweed dish, miyukguk, seaplant
May 12th
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I was wondering if you ever use the frozen seaweed or sea plant they sell or do you use just the dried one?
Thanks so much for your website and videos – They are SO helpful and informative. I also like reading your stories that go with the dishes. Cooking is loving and loving is living!!
Maangchi:
How’s sunny Manhattan weather doing to you? Good luck and welcome again… it will take a while just to figure out the subway commuting. But priority is finding a good korean grocer for whipping up all the goodies! I have good luck with the soup. awesome! they’re very healthy and very tasty. i cracked a fresh egg before i ate and put more sesame oil and black pepper. i haven’t got dried anchovies from korean grocer online so i used the italian anchovies. it’s really good… i will make this often especially in winter. it’s definitely a good warm soup and not fattening at all.
thanks for sharing.
cloud
Hannah,
Yes, haechomuchim sold in a package is different from miyuk. I like the texture of haechomuchim when I chew it. Thank you for your question.
Hi maangchi, it’s me again. I went back to the supermarket and read the label, and it was called “hae cho” instead of “mi yuk” salad. So it was a completely different seaweed right? Because it was very bright green, instead of dark colored.
I was searching for a recipe on how to make Korean tofu stew, and found your site. I am so happy, I have been searching a complete Korean recipes for a long time. Now I do not have to always go to restaurants to feed my craving for Korean food any more.
I am from China, Korean food and Chinese food share some similarities, but there are subtle difference. I have been searching good recipes from Korean people for a long time :)
I am so happy.
This is a wonderful site!!
Kai
hannah,
Is the miyuk salads (miyuk muchim) that you made? It looks great!
I think you bought right miyuk. If it is too chewy, I think you should soak it longer before making the dish.
I made it today. It’s very much like what I had! Except what I bought from the supermarket was very stringy, like in little thin strips. And the texture was crunchy. Did I buy the wrong miyuk?
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/8451/crim0005wh7.jpg
Hannah,
oh,I’m glad to hear that you found the recipe you want. yes, let me know hot it turns out when you make it. Thanks,
Hi Maangchi,
I think this is the recipe I was looking for. I will try it sometimes soon and come back to tell you if it was the right thing. Thanks ^_^
I am a white American, and I love Miyuk guk. :-)
hi, anonymous,
The brand name of the soysauce I am using is called “Samepyo Jingaan Jaang”(Samepyo soysauce). And any brand name of sesame oil will be ok.
Happy holidays!
Hi, i love your videos and i’m a big fan of Korean food. I wanted to know what kind of soy sauce you used and sesame oil?
thank you
I made Mi Yuk Guk last night with dired anchovies and silken tofu.
Yeah! Finally I used up all the ever lasting My Yuk!
All these years, I tried to achive the taste of authentic mi yuk guk by using a lot of garlic, korean kan jang, little fish da shi da, or even MSG… just never tasted like what I had made by Korean A Ju Ma.
At last, I did it! The taste that I missed!
Thank you for revealing the secret of Mi Yuk Guk– fish sauce.
Hi, ami,
Thank you very much! I am very happy about your compliment now. : )
Hi!
I randomly ran into your site after a google search for tteokbokki. This is the best Korean recipes site I ever found. Thanks for all the detailed and beautiful clips ^_^
I wish you the best.