Appreciation for Seaweed!

Seaweed is a specific food that can take a variety of forms in Korean snacks and cuisine. It can be a delicious addition or main part of different dishes, of which shouldn’t be taken for granted. Through the variety of ways that seaweed can take, it manages to taste delicious in its own right; such as snacks, dishes, salads and more.

SNACKS

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Seaweed chips made from nori and glutinous flour plus sesame seeds. Thank you @maangchi for the recipe. Instead of deep fry them in a lot of oil, I fried them one by one using coconut oil. A healthy alternative as I learned other vegetable oils are actually not meant to be heated as it changes the chemical structure and makes it difficult for our body to digest, not to mention pro inflammatory. #vegan#vegansofig#vegetarian#plantbased#glutenfree#seaweed#nori#chips#krupuk#sesameseed#coconutoil#vco#diy#gimbugak

A post shared by AmScho (@arpws05) on Apr 25, 2017 at 11:57pm PDT

This is gim bugak, Korean seaweed chips. They are fried seaweed paper coated in glutinous rice paste and sometimes with sesame. It is a savory and crispy side dish or snack. People normally serve it as a dish to eat with beer as well.

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스낵4총사 - #만전김 #ManjunSeaweed #LaverlandCrunch

A post shared by 만전김(ManjunSeaweed) (@manjun_seaweed_korea) on Nov 8, 2017 at 3:34pm PST

Next up, is a packaged seaweed snack similar to gim bugak. It gives off a crispy texture as a piece of seaweed is coated on one side with rice pops or rice pops and almonds. As shown in the picture they have the original seaweed chips that mostly resemble gim bugak. There is also one where the seaweed is on top of a piece of fish.

There are also many different seaweed-flavored chips, so of course, this list is limited. It's not rare to find any seaweed-flavored snacks out there!

SOUPS AND SALADS

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Korean seaweed soup (#miyeokguk, #미역국) is light, healthy, and nutritious. It's also known as a birthday soup. Want to know more about it? Check my recipe from the link below! Recipe - https://mykoreankitchen.com/korean-seaweed-soup-miyeok-guk/ #mykoreankitchen #koreanfood #kfood #koreanfoodie #koreandish #asianfood #seaweed #wakame #seaweedsoup #birthdaysoup #한식 #홈쿡 #인스타푸드

A post shared by Sue 🇰🇷 🇦🇺| My Korean Kitchen (@mykoreankitchen) on Nov 26, 2018 at 3:14pm PST

Seaweed soup, also known as miyeok guk in Korean, is traditionally eaten on birthdays or after giving birth because of its health benefits. The soup is very simply made with few ingredients and  rich in iodine and calcium.

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English is below ⬇︎ . 今日は番外編！ 豆腐ご飯です🍚 ご飯に豆腐と韓国海苔をのせて、混ぜて食べます。 豆腐の柔らかさと海苔のパリパリ感がいい感じです😁 . Today is an extra information! I introduce rice that is put tofu 🍚 You can eat after you put togu and Korean seaweed on the rice . The softness of tofu and crispness of the seaweed are good 😁 . #豆腐ごはん #韓国海苔 #tofu #koreanseaweed #softness #crispness

A post shared by ふりかけ (@hurikake25) on Oct 8, 2018 at 7:08am PDT

Seaweed like the one above can be used as a side dish with rice or can just be eaten as a snack on the go. Either way, the seaweed is a delight to eat.

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This is called miyeok-muchim, Korean sweet & sour seaweed salad. It's sweet, salty, sour and slightly spicy, very appetizing. I could just eat this with rice! It's easy and very healthy too. You can also make it in advance, it keeps well in the fridge for days! 😋 1)Soak dried miyeok (or wakame in Japanese) 2)Blanch in boiling water for 30s, drain 3)Rinse under cold running water, squeeze dry, chop to bite size 4)In a large bowl, toss chopped seaweed with vinegar, soy sauce, honey, chili pepper flakes, onions and chopped garlic 5)Drizzle sesame oil and sprinkle sesame seeds before serving. . . . . #seaweedsalad #wakame #miyeokmuchim #chefathome #sgfoodie #koreanfood #vegansalad #veganfood #inmykitchen #미역무침 #plantbasedfood #凉拌裙带菜

A post shared by Doreen (@doreen_foo) on Jan 28, 2018 at 7:48pm PST

Koreans also have a seaweed salad. The one above is called miyeok -muchim, which is a sweet and sour seaweed salad made primarily of seaweed and different sauces. It is tossed together, and "Voila!" we have a cool, tasty dish that many eat in the summer to cool off.

Overall, this list of appreciation for different seaweed snacks can go on forever. There is a huge range of seaweed-flavored food and incorporated dishes, but despite what form, seaweed never seems to disappoint. It's one of the most versatile additions and parts of Korean culture!