日本のスーパーフード：味噌のマジック

What is miso?

A store cupboard essential and a foundation of Japanese cookery, miso is a paste made from fermented soy beans, rice and salt. It has a tantalising ‘umami’ flavour which combines elements of salty, sweet and nutty. Umami is a Japanese word which translates as ‘delicious taste’ but actually refers to the presence of glutamate, an amino acid which gives a distinctive richness and flavour to foods but is less definitive than other tastes such as sweet or sour.

Traditionally, miso is made by mixing soy beans with koji (a culture and fermenting agent), rice or other grains and placing in huge vats, before compressing with large, heavy stones for anything from a couple of months to several years.

As with most types of food, different varieties and qualities are available, and although it’s a simple product at its core, becoming a miso master takes many years. Top notch miso is produced slowly and carefully using quality beans which haven’t been genetically modified in any way. The longer the fermentation period, the richer and the more potent the miso is in flavour.

Whilst it’s most commonly used in soups, the only real limit when cooking with miso is your imagination! Its salty / sweet taste lends itself well to both savoury dishes and desserts. Marinade your meat, tofu or vegetables in miso to add that extra element of umami to dishes, or mix with soy and dashi to create a tasty soup style base for noodle dishes.

Japan Centre has a large range of miso based dishes for you to experiment with, from soups to stir frys, and miso can even be incorporated into more western style dishes such as these mini miso pizzas.

For those with a sweet tooth miso is particularly delicious when added to dishes such as chocolate brownies or caramel ice cream, adding a subtle hint of saltiness which pairs perfectly with sweet treats!

Miso is low in fat but has bags of flavour, giving it a similar richness to beef and chicken stock but with far less salt content. It’s versatile, good for your health and a little goes a long way, making it the perfect item to keep in your cupboard and add to your daily cooking for a Japanese twist.

Japan Centre stocks a wide range of miso products including top quality pastes and sauces, instant soups and noodles. If you head down to [our stores](/en/locations "Japan Centre stores"), you can weigh your own fresh miso and purchase hard to find artisanal miso products in our dedicated miso room.

Why not have a go at making your own soup with our quick and easy miso soup recipe? Or if you’re strapped for time and want something quick and easy you can eat at work or for a light snack, then you can try one of the instant types – just add water and stir!