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Things to Eat and Drink in Japan

Japanese Food

Miso



Last update June 25, 2022

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Miso  みそ, 味噌

Soybean Paste

A book on medicine in the Edo Period (1603 - 1867) says Miso soup is a “doctor-killer”; namely, a bowl a day keeps a doctor away. Its health benefits seem true even today -- except that excessive salt intake should be warned. Just like Shōyu, it’s made from steamed and fermented soybeans, and it’s a champion of Japanese cooking ingredients. Depending on which type of Koji (a fermentation starter) used, there are three kinds: rice, barley, and bean. Colour-wise, the products can be divided into three: Aka Miso (reddish), Shiro Miso (whitish), and a hybrid of them. Of course, the taste changes depending on the ingredients and process. A larger amount of cereal-derived Koji enhances the sweetness, while soybean Koji helps increase the amino acid-based Umami (savoriness). So a tip is: Try various types and even mix them by tuning your particular and original bowl of Miso Shiru (soup) every day!

japanese-food-miso
Mugi Miso, made from barley.
japanese-food-akamiso
Aka Miso or red Miso.
japanese-food-shiromiso
Shiro Miso or white Miso.
japanese-food-morokyu
Morokyu with Moromi Miso (fermented Miso ingredients) sprinkled over cucumber.
japanese-food-fukinoto-miso
Fuki Miso made of Fuki No Tō and Miso.
japanese-food-miso
Mugi Miso, made from barley.

japanese-food-akamiso
Aka Miso or red Miso.

japanese-food-shiromiso
Shiro Miso or white Miso.

japanese-food-morokyu
Morokyu with Moromi Miso (fermented Miso ingredients) sprinkled over cucumber.

japanese-food-fukinoto-miso
Fuki Miso made of Fuki No Tō and Miso.

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