When is your birthday, Sue? Triple one, that’s the date I was born.

It can confuse people with November 1st, but still, pronouncing triple one sounds kind of cool.

It was very noisy from the early morning today. It was still dark outside but the strong smell of sesame oil woke me up. My two little sisters were up to something (they have been staying with us for two weeks now), making me some birthday soup.

What is birthday soup?

• So called brown seaweed soup (miyeok-guk) is the birth day soup in Korea. However people eat it on normal days as well.

Why do people have it on a birthday?

• Brown seaweed soup was actually consumed by a woman who delivered a child. Because it helps to clean blood vessels and to produce milk, it has abundant iodine to reduce the swollen body and calcium to help build strong bones, which are all important for both mother and child.

• It is symbolic to have on a birthday, because while a baby’s mother has this soup, the baby also eats it through the milk. Though, my theory is to remind people about their mother’s hard work for delivering them and say thank you to their mother on their birthday. So on your birthday, you should say thank you to your mother.

This is a picture of the brown seaweed soup (Miyeok-guk) my sisters made for me.

I don’t know what she added to season it, but it would probably be some salt. The obvious ingredients are brown seaweed, some beef cuts, and sesame oil. It was delicious yet the sesame oil overpowered the overall taste. I hope my sister doesn’t read this post. Because I said it was very good. Sister, the thought is what counts!!

My sisters are self claimed night elves. They’ve been baking cookies, cakes and helping me cooking meals while they are staying with us.

Chocolate cake from the night elves (they used a prepackaged mix)

Related posts:

1. Brown Seaweed Soup (Miyeok Guk)
2. Fish Cake Soup 2 (Eomuk-Guk in Korean)
3. Seaweed for Christmas