Miso!

Normally served hot with Japanese meals, a basic bowl of this savoury soup generally consists of small pieces of seaweed, a few small cubes of tofu and some sliced green onions. Of course there are adventurous people who love to add all kinds of fancy stuff to make it more appetizing!

What is Miso?

Its fermented paste made from mashed soybeans, rice or barley, salt, water & a filamentous fungus called Aspergillus oryzae (also known as “Koji”).

Aspergillus oryzae

Do you know?

➤ A. oryzae has been safely used in industrial production for thousands of years & has a pleasant aroma similar to chestnuts.

➤ It is an ingredient in the production of Japanese beverages (sake & shuchu) as well as common table top items such as soy sauce & rice vinegar.

By the way…

There are a few types of miso paste - from white, yellow, dark brown, to red. Its flavour depends on the region it was made:

• Salty & dark-coloured - colder areas

• Clear, light & a little sweet - warmer areas

How is miso paste made?

Preparing miso takes some patience, since the flavours of the soy beans need time to mature. Whichever way we choose to make it, the preparation basically involves the following:

Ingredients
• Dried soybeans
• Koji fermented rice
• Natural salt
• Boiled soybean soup (saved from boiling dried Soybeans above)
• Plastic container for miso with a lid
• Plastic bag to line plastic container & one to cover container

• Heavy weight or stone

Process
1. Wash & soak beans overnight in water
2. Prepare container
3. Prepare beans. Drain beans and rinse
4. Mash beans
5. Form paste
6. Store Paste