MiYeok Guk is a popular Korean soup. Korean people can eat this soup anytime, but it is very popular for special days like birthdays, weaning days, etc. Sea mustard has good nutrition in it. According to Wikipedia, “In Oriental medicine, seaweed has been used for blood purification, intestinal strength, skin, hair, reproductive organs, and menstrual regularity.” So, it is a common practice in Korea that moms eat sea mustard soup after they birth their babies because Koreans believe that this sea mustard soup gives nutrition to both mom and baby through mom’s milk.

There is a funny superstition that some people consider seriously about sea mustard soup: The fresh or soaked sea mustard has a slippery surface. One Korean word for slippery is “미끄러지다,” which can imply that somebody will fall down. Some people try to not to eat sea mustard soup near an important testing day because they do not want to get bad luck from eating it – as to fall down, drop, or fail the test. I personally don’t believe it, but just wanted to share this humorous culture with you. This is a beef version of sea mustard soup, but you can use tuna can, clam, mushroom, or make it without any meat instead.