What Is Miso, Exactly? (2024)

FAQs

What the heck is miso? ›

Miso is a key ingredient in Japanese cooking and forms the base of the staple dish, miso soup. The paste, similar in texture to peanut butter, is typically a cultured mixture of soybeans, a grain (like rice or barley), salt, and koji (a mold).

Miso paste is a fermented soy bean paste that's used a lot in Japanese cooking. It's made by fermenting steamed soy beans with salt, grains (usually rice or barley) and koji, a type of fungus. But don't let that put you off – it's a phenomenal way to add flavour to meat, fish and more.

Soy Sauce and Tamari

Made with fermented soybeans, wheat, and salt, soy sauce is a common substitute for miso, as it adds a similar salty and savory flavor to dishes. But unlike miso that's thick and creamy, soy sauce has a thin texture like water.

Savory is usually the word used to describe the flavor of miso. Different types of miso paste vary in intensity, but in general, you can compare the flavor of miso paste to a rich soy sauce. It's salty and concentrated with fermented hints of tanginess.

If you want to avoid sodium, your choice should be White. If you don't need to avoid sodium intake, then Red is the most nutritious. The site says that White Miso makes you relaxed and gives you a good night sleep.

Miso is a “preservative food,” that can be kept for a long period of time due to its salt content. If kept in your refrigerator, miso itself does not go bad. In terms of the quality of the taste, miso should remain relatively consistent for up to one year.

Miso soup contains several beneficial vitamins, minerals, and components that may improve your gut and heart health and may lower your risk of cancer. If you are on a low-salt diet, read the label on packaged miso soup to choose one that's low in sodium. What the heck is miso? Miso is a fermented soybean paste.

Technically, miso is a paste made from soya beans fermented with a kind of mould called koji (AKA aspergillus oryzae). Koji is used to make all the foundational ingredients (sake, soy sauce or shouyu, miso, rice vinegar) of washoku, Japan's Unesco-listed cuisine.

“Traditionally, rice miso is more expensive than barley miso, because the grain is more expensive,” explains Chung. Accordingly, wealthier merchants could afford to purchase more expensive miso made with rice, whereas farmers and townsfolk often ate miso made with millet, barley, or other common grains.

You should find it in the Asian food section of just about any major food retailer. Miso paste is sometimes labeled as soybean paste.

Can I make my own miso paste? ›

Enough koji and mold science! Lead me to the land of umami. The recipe for homemade miso paste is basically mashed beans plus grains mixed with koji plus 4-13% by volume salt. Stuff this paste tightly into your fermentation vat of choice to remove any air bubbles.

Can you eat miso paste raw? Grab a spoon and dig in – you CAN eat your miso paste raw! I often recommend this to people when they are trying a new variety or are considering which variety to use in a recipe. It's a great way to discover the unique taste of miso and how each variety differs in flavor.

Miso should be stored in a covered container and to maintain its colour and flavour, refrigeration is best. As a general rule, the lighter the colour and flavour, the more careful you will need to be and refrigeration is best. Sweet miso should be consumed within three weeks of opening, white miso within 3 months.

Tamari/Coconut Aminos

Both are salty and contain plenty of the same free-forming amino acids (which create that umami flavor) found in miso. For an easy miso substitute, blend a few tablespoons of either tamari or coconut aminos with a can of cooked chickpeas. If desired, season with additional sea salt.

The soup became a daily meal for samurai warriors during the Kamakura period, from 1185-1333. They prized the energy-packed soup for its replenishing properties (similar to how chicken noodle soup has become such a classic pick-me-up here in the U.S.). This is where the custom of serving miso soup with meals began.

As a fermented food, miso may provide probiotic benefits for your gut. It might also help people with type 2 diabetes control blood sugar and reduce the risk of some types of cancer. However, scientists need to carry out more research into these potential health benefits.

In The Miso Soup doesn't pull any punches. The story is rife with degenerates, death, sleaziness, and pleasure districts; the kind of Japan you wouldn't hear about from the mouth of a starry-eyed Westerner or an imperialist zealot.

Miso soup contains several beneficial vitamins, minerals, and components that may improve your gut and heart health and may lower your risk of cancer. If you are on a low-salt diet, read the label on packaged miso soup to choose one that's low in sodium. What the heck is miso? Miso is a fermented soybean paste.

Unfortunately for vegans, the majority of miso soups use fish-based stocks, rendering them inedible. Luckily, both in restaurants and in grocery stores, there are vegan miso soup options. Learn more about what goes into miso and ways you can make sure your next order is vegan-friendly.