Have you eaten seaweed soup?
In Korea, this is a common question to ask someone on their birthday. 미역국 miyuk guk, or seaweed soup, is considered a nutritious food, particularly for women that have recently given birth. Korean women ‘take a rest’ (or sanhoo jori) for one month after giving birth. During this time, new mothers eat the soup to help replenish their system and regenerate the blood that they’ve lost.
To commemorate their child’s birth, mothers usually prepare seaweed soup on their son or daughter’s birthdays. Though, it’s not only eaten on one’s birthday; we usually have seaweed soup during lunch at school. So on the days that it’s served for lunch, students who happen to have their birthdays on that day will say, “the school is wishing me a happy birthday by serving seaweed soup!”
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