The market · Seasonings and ferments · East Asia

Miso

Japanese fermented soybean paste, made with koji — salty, savoury and a little sweet.

savoury · fermented · salty · nutty

What to do with it

Classics built on it
JapaneseMiso ramenThick, wavy noodles in a rich broth seasoned with miso, under stir-fried pork, bean sprouts and cabbage — and in Hokkaido, often sweetcorn and a pat of butter.No one here has made it yet

Kinds

White (shiro)
Short fermented, sweet and mild.
Red (aka)
Longer fermented, saltier, deeper.
Mixed (awase)
A blend; the all-rounder.

Goes with

dashitofubutteraubergine

Knowing it

Where to buy
Japanese grocers. Keep it in the fridge; it lasts for months.
Worth knowing
Whisk it into the pot off the boil — boiling dulls its aroma.

Kitchens that keep it in

JapanJapaneseA cooking of restraint and season, built on dashi — and on letting one ingredient taste as much of itself as it can.10 classics · 2 cooked here

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