By now, news streaming is all CoVid-19 all the time. I find myself scrolling through every update posted to the public in fascination. These are strange times we live in, my husband and I keep saying to each other. Stories about grocery stores ransacked, lines of people hoarding cleaning supplies and toilet paper, canned foods and face masks (even though we are not supposed to be around large crowds). People being told to work from home, schools closing, restaurants doing take-out only, as a means to slow the spread of this highly contagious novel virus. From the news, it would seem as if city life is frenzied chaos or eerie ghost towns... and then I look up from my phone and look out the window and everything here is exactly the same as it always has been.
My youngest daughter was born last month, right before the craziness of the self-quarantine was put in place in California. And part of Orthodox practice after a baby is born, is that the mother and child remain at home for a 40-day period. This time is provided for the mother to heal from childbirth, for the mother and baby to bond, for the family to become acclimated to the new life, and to protect the child from illness in its first days. It's a time that I've always very much enjoyed with each of my children. Korean culture has a similar philosophy, with the added feature of a special diet of miyeok guk.
Allow me to nerd out a little bit. Miyeok guk is seaweed soup. It is considered by Koreans to be the ideal meal for a woman postpartum. The soup contains iron, fiber, iodine, and calcium: Iron to prevent anemia from blood-loss; iodine to contribute to the brain development of the infant; fiber to prevent constipation (because TMI, but postpartum poop is a scary thing); calcium to prevent bone degeneration postpartum. Plus as a soup, it keeps the mother from being dehydrated which is supportive of breastfeeding. Seaweed itself has many other beneficial minerals plus vitamin A and C and many other wonderful protein groups that I won't bore you with... but much good in a bowl.
Culturally, it's also this beautiful act done by one generation to another because it is traditional that grandmothers and mothers make this for their daughters who have given birth, linking multiple generations together. It's such an integral part of Korean life that even at birth centers and hospitals, this is the food that is given to mothers for weeks, even months after a child is born. And because this is the first food, on birthdays, Koreans traditionally eat miyeok guk, to remember their mothers. During my 40-days, my mother comes to my house with a giant pot of soup to tide me over for a few days before she comes with another delivery.
It is one of my favorite Korean foods, but I can understand if someone facing this meal for first time would be daunted. Because it's seaweed. In a soup. It's slippery and seaweed-y and umami and to me, delicious, so if you're feeling adventurous, perhaps it's your birthday or you've just had a baby or you love seaweed as much as I love seaweed, here's a recipe. The linked recipe uses a beef base, but it can also be made with chicken, mussels, fish, anchovy stock, or without a protein added for your preference.
I'm a hermit by nature, so having an official excuse to remain indoors has been wonderful for me. But it was perfect timing during this global pandemic because the entire family was already at home, self-isolated, and we had established a routine for all of us.
I do realize that I am speaking from an incredible position of privilege. My husband has always worked from home. Our little farmhouse is far from the city so we usually have a fully stocked pantry, fridge and multiple freezers to limit necessary grocery trips. We have a pretty successful vegetable garden (despite my black thumb) for fresh produce, and nearby orchards and farms for fresh fruit that we don't have on our own land. Because we live so far out in the country, my girls have always been homeschooled, and our church is within walking distance from our house. I can only imagine that self-quarantine abruptly put into place for anyone who doesn't have the same lifestyle that myself and our farm community has would be difficult, would be a huge learning curve, would drastically change the day to day, and would throw a lot of uncertainty and anxiety because no one knows how long the "shelter in place" policy will last. Some people say a few weeks, some people have speculated for a year or more. Only time will tell, and for many this time is a trial.
For anyone who tried the soup, I hope you liked it. And for everyone, please stay safe and healthy. My thoughts go out to all of you!
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