Miyeok / dried seaweed

Ingredient guide

Miyeok / dried seaweed 미역

Miyeok is dried sea mustard, simmered into the classic birthday soup, miyeok-guk, and eaten for its silky texture and mineral broth.

Taste

Mild sea flavor with a silky, slightly slippery texture once soaked.

What to look for

Dried packs in the seaweed aisle of Korean markets. Small pieces expand a lot — a little goes a long way.

Storing it

Keep dry in the pantry. Soaked leftovers keep a day in the fridge.

How to find Miyeok / dried seaweed, anywhere

Works in any country — look for these names, in these kinds of shops.

Names to look for

  • miyeok
  • dried sea mustard
  • wakame (Japanese)
  • 미역
Show this at the shop미역

Where to look

  • Korean grocery stores, seaweed aisle
  • Asian and Japanese supermarkets (sold as dried wakame)
  • Health-food stores sometimes stock it

Watch out for

  • Soak 20-30 minutes and rinse before cooking; it expands to many times its size.
  • Instant wakame is thinner and needs less time.

Can't find Miyeok / dried seaweed? Use this instead

Honest swaps, with amounts per unit of the original and how the dish will change.

Dried wakame

Dried wakameEasy to find

For each ½ oz (15 g) miyeok: about ½ oz (15 g) wakame; soak 5 minutes

Same sea vegetable family. Thinner and softer, so add it in the last 4-5 minutes of simmering.

▲ softer

Kombu, thinly sliced

Kombu, thinly slicedEasy to find

Use about half the amount; simmer 15 minutes

Chewier and with a deeper sea flavor; keeps the broth savory.

▲ chewier▲ briny

Where to buy it near you