Soups & stews · 국·찌개·탕
미역국Miyeokguk
Seaweed soup eaten on every Korean birthday.
What it is
Mothers eat it after giving birth to recover, so a bowl on your birthday honours your mother. Beef is the usual base; mussels and anchovies are common too.
How to eat it
Many Koreans avoid it before exams: slippery seaweed means slipping up.