What Koreans Always Eat on Birthdays : How to Make Seaweed Soup

The history of Koreans eating seaweed soup dates back 1300 years. Seaweed soup is what a mother eats when recovering from childbirth, and there are many nutrients in seaweed that can be delivered to the child through breast milk. Hence Koreans have a culture of eating seaweed on birthdays as appreciation for our mothers. If you have a birthday coming up during your stay in Korea, how about a good bowl of seaweed soup? A simple and hearty seaweed soup! Let’s go ahead and take a look at the recipe.

Preparations : Pot, seaweed (good to buy pre-cut seaweed), garlic, soy sauce, beef or chicken (optional), sesame oil 

1. Soak seaweed in water

※ Seaweed will swell multiple times its original size, so a small amount will do!

2. Grease the pot with a spoonful of sesame oil and stir-fry seaweed. If adding meat, stir-fry the meat together with the seaweed. 

3. Stir-fry enough to partially cook it and then add adequate water to submerge the seaweed. 

4. Mince 3 to 4 garlic cloves and add them to the pot.

5. Add 2-3 spoonfuls of soy sauce.

※ Adjust appropriately to the amount of water that’s been added!

6. Boil until the seaweed and meat have fully flavored the soup (about 30 minutes).

7. Add a bowl of rice to your serving, and dig in! 

Seaweed soup is an easy Korean recipe that children also enjoy. Try seaweed soup with your family! If the recipe is too difficult, you can also buy it premade at a convenience store or a grocery store, or you can even have seaweed soup ramen!