Three ingredients are enough to make miso: a fermented, salty paste that is essential on the Japanese table. Easy to use, it provides contrast in the mouth and benefits our health. Sufficient reasons to learn, today in depth, everything about this earthy paste.
Miso, known thanks to Japan, although it originated in the neighbouring country, is a paste with an ochre, brown or reddish hue that revolutionises the most unexpected dishes with its umami flavor. It is, of course, an unusual probiotic, nothing like yoghurts or pickles, but instead has as many properties for our health as they do. Today, we dedicate the following paragraphs to this pâté that flavours soups and, watch out, desserts.
What is miso
Miso is a paste made from just three ingredients: soy, salt and koji ( Aspergillus oryzae ), a fungus that is added in an active form to cause fermentation. Depending on the type of miso, some cereals such as rice or barley may also be mixed in, giving it a more delicate and sometimes sweeter flavour.
The mixture is kept for months, if not years, protected from heat and sealed tightly to allow the fungus to take its course. The soybeans and/or cereals serve as food while the salt keeps the preparation safe from unwanted bacteria and fungi. The process is monitored every few months and the result is a type of pâté with a strong umami essence that seasons, thickens and flavours dishes.
Long used in Japanese cuisine – what would miso and tofu soup be without miso – this fermented speciality has also gained popularity in an unexpected area: baking. The contrast, one of the main activators of the pleasure and dopamine regions in our brain, is heightened when we come across sweet tartlets seasoned with miso. This paste, in any case, is also the spicy touch that can give a twist to many of our favourite savoury dishes.
Origin and history of miso
Counterintuitive but true: Miso is not Japanese . Although most of us discovered it through miso soup or knew of its fame as a staple rice seasoning in Japan, miso originated in China around 1000 years B.C.
It did not reach Japan until the 7th century, where it took root on the table and underwent a great evolution. Methodologies and ingredients intertwined and different varieties, more or less fermented, more or less bitter, more or less acidic, appeared. It went from being an ingredient for the most privileged classes, monks and nobles, to being a nutritious addition to the daily soup of the Kamakura samurai, which in turn gave way to its preparation by farmers.
Miso thus provided an important source of sustenance for the Japanese population and by the end of the 19th century it was already a delicacy, carefully prepared in Tokyo and Kyoto. Today, and again unexpectedly, the world’s largest producer of miso is the United States, ahead of Asia.
Types of Miso
A basic formulation of just three ingredients has spawned a fertile offspring of hundreds of different types of miso in Japan itself. Subtle variations in fermentation times, the use of regional methods or the grains chosen are some of the factors that have given rise to this enormous variety.
To put some order among so many possibilities, one of the best-known classifications is that of misos according to the type of cereal used in their composition. Depending on whether or not a cereal has been added to the mixture and the type of cereal, we find three categories: rice miso, barley miso, and soy miso.
Rice Miso or Kome Miso
Kome Miso is a miso that, in addition to soy, includes malted rice. Malted rice miso has a wider range of flavours than the rest, so it can be classified as sweet, semi-sweet or full-bodied rice miso. When the rice grain is whole grain, it is known as genmai miso. On the other hand, if the grain is not whole grain but has been prepared in a traditional way, it gives rise to a more acidic miso known as Inaka Miso. Depending on the type, the colour varies between white, pale yellow, and reddish.
Barley Miso or Mugi Miso
Mugi Miso is a type of miso that, in addition to soy, includes malted barley and is fermented for an average of 3 years. The use of barley results in two types of Mugi Miso: sweet and ochre-colored or complex and reddish in flavour. A well-known type of barley miso is Kinzanji Miso, which also includes vegetables.
Soybean Miso or Mame Miso
Mame Miso is the most classic miso, in which only soybeans have been fermented. It has a dark colour and a more complex flavour with a deep umami flavour. There are also some differences depending on the region where it is made. This is the case with Hatcho Miso, a grain-free miso made in Aichi Prefecture.
Nutritional value of miso
Miso is known above all for its characteristic flavour, but thanks to its fermented quality and the use of soy, it also has an interesting nutritional profile rich in proteins and isoflavones, but also a very high percentage of sodium: up to 162% of the recommended daily amount. Luckily, we only need a teaspoon for our dishes and not 100 g of miso, in which we find these nutrients:
- Energy: 207 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 26.5 g (of which sugars 6.2 g)
- Starch: 20.3 g
- Proteins: 11.7 g
- Fat: 6 g
- Sodium: 3728 mg
- Fiber: 5.4 g
Properties and benefits of miso
- Isoflavones, a good amount of vitamin E, and enzymes such as trypsin are just some of the properties of miso that make taking it give us greater youth, a strong digestive system, and a lower risk of suffering from cancer.
- Recommended to prevent gastritis and ulcers
- Miso soup has been shown to have beneficial effects on our digestive system. Being a fermented food, it is rich in enzymes that protect the inner layer of the stomach, preventing the development of pathologies such as gastritis. In addition, the isoflavones present in its composition, such as genistein, also help prevent gastric ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori. As the icing on the cake, its fiber content is responsible for maintaining active intestinal motility and prevents constipation.
- Prevents cancer
- Studies carried out with men and women who ate miso soup daily showed a positive relationship: the higher the consumption, the lower the incidence of cancer, especially in the case of men. Specifically, miso seems to be of special interest for the prevention of colon and liver cancer, probably due to its close relationship with the protection and care of our digestive system.
- Antioxidant and rejuvenating
- Japanese longevity has been praised for decades. The island of Okinawa is located in the famous Blue Zones, world regions where people live to 100 years old with a high quality of life. One of the indisputable factors was diet. In the Japanese case, vegetables and legumes made Okinawa a model anti-inflammatory and antioxidant diet. And miso was also part of it. Rich in antioxidants such as linoleic acid, sterols and vitamin E, this fermented paste reduces the concentration of free radicalsand helps us stay younger.
Contraindications of miso
- Miso as a fermented product has many health benefits. The only drawback is that, unlike other probiotics, the amounts of salt required for its preparation and preservation are huge. For this reason, while a pinch of miso paste in soup or in a new baking recipe contains an amount of sodium that is completely acceptable for a healthy person, this is not the case for those who suffer from certain pathologies.
- Miso, sodium and kidney failure
- The kidneys are the great filter of our body and among their many functions are responsible for excreting excess sodium. When they cannot carry out their functions, an increase in sodium in the blood occurs, which consequently raises blood pressure. For this reason and due to the high sodium content of miso, this paste is contraindicated for patients with kidney failure or kidney pathologies.
- Avoid in cases of hypertension
- Continually consuming a diet rich in sodium and low in potassium leads to the development of hypertension, which in turn increases the likelihood of suffering from various cardiovascular diseases. As a preventive measure, and to avoid further complications, low-sodium diets are recommended for people with hypertension, so miso, which is high in sodium, is contraindicated in these cases.
How to use miso paste
Miso paste is very easy to use. In liquid recipes such as soups, it is best to dilute it in a slightly warm but not boiling liquid. In this way, we continue to take advantage of all its probiotic potential as a fermented food and we can add it to the final dish to provide all the flavor.
When making sauces, it is enough to dilute one or two tablespoons in the vinegary or creamy base that we wish to use, and in the case of sweets, it is usual to mix a couple of tablespoons of miso per cup of flour when preparing the dough.
Miso used in cooking and recipes
The quintessential miso recipe is miso soup. Of Japanese origin and simple to make, it includes seaweed, often incorporates tofu, and has an extraordinary texture and saltiness thanks to the dashi broth and the use of miso. Without leaving the Japanese table, another surprising recipe is glazed eggplant with a sauce based on miso, sake, and mirin. The result is a very juicy bite with a charred and umami touch that is very difficult to compare with any other preparation based on this juicy vegetable.
As always, there is a place in the kitchen for the most daring. Anyone who has tasted the excellent combination of chocolate and coarse salt knows that the contrast between sweet and salty is a great source of pleasure. That is the effect that bakers seek when they decide to include a pinch of miso in their earthier preparations such as pumpkin pie or plum tart.
Where to buy it and how to preserve it
In large stores and supermarkets, it is easy to find instant versions of miso soup, which are prepared in a pure ramen style in just a few minutes with a little hot water. However, if what we are looking for is miso paste to make our own recipes, it is best to go to stores specializing in Asian cuisine, which will surely have at least rice miso or some miso, the mildest and most well-known.
Once at home, the miso must be kept in a dry place without direct sunlight and there is no need to worry when it is opened because we can keep it for months in the refrigerator thanks to the high salt content that keeps it almost as good as the first day.