6 Ways to Use Miso

Although its origins are thought to lie in China, the kind of miso paste we’ve come to know and love today is a staple in Japanese cuisine and holds an important role in Japan’s extensive culinary history. You’ll find this ingredient cropping up in various traditional dishes, especially the much-loved miso soup! Many add miso to their recipes to enhance dishes with a rich, umami flavour that adds mouth-watering depth. Historically, miso was highly prized and was even used as currency in some cases or given as a luxurious gift. However, these days, you can find it at your local oriental supermarket.

What is Miso?

Miso is a fermented paste that is made from soybeans, salt and koji, which is an edible kind of mold culture that is also used when making soy sauce and sake. How long the ingredients are left to ferment will depend on the texture and flavour that is desired. The fermentation process can take between three months to three years, with younger miso being milder and smoother.

What Does Miso Taste Like?

• umami
• savoury
• salty
• rich

As already mentioned, taste may come down to how long your miso has been aged for. However, generally, miso has a deep, savoury flavour with a salty richness. Its umami nature makes it the ideal flavouring to add to all manner of dishes that need a boost!

A Guide to Miso

Although soybeans are usually one of the main ingredients in miso, some pastes may also use fermented rice or barley instead. Miso pastes will also come in different colours with slightly different flavour profiles, often depending on the region in which they are made.

• Mame miso - made from soybeans
• Kome miso - made from rice
• Mugi miso - made from barley

Although there are countless variations, you’ll usually come across three main types of miso:

• White/Shiro - has a milder flavour and is only fermented for a few months.
• Yellow/Shinshu - a versatile option that, for many, is not too mild or too strong.
• Red/Aka - has a stronger flavour and is fermented for longer.

How Can You Use Miso?

So, how can you actually incorporate this flavourful paste into your dishes?

Miso Soup

This might be an obvious one - but if you haven’t tried a steaming bowl of miso soup, you’re missing out! Miso soup is a staple in restaurants across Japan and is often enjoyed before dinner as a starter of sorts. The soup is made by combining miso paste with dashi to create a base to which a range of ingredients are added. Spring onions, seaweed and tofu are common additions.

Ramen

In a similar vein, miso can make a wonderful addition to your ramen broth. Miso is a common ingredient used to give ramen a more powerful flavour that can be particularly sought after when your dish is meat-free. The strong umami taste of miso pairs especially well with ramen classics like green onions, bamboo shoots, radishes and boiled eggs.

Salad Dressing

Combining miso, sesame oil and rice vinegar makes an easy and delicious sauce for salads or other dishes that need a drizzle of flavour. You could also add it to your ready-made salad dressings to add further depth and a unique taste.

Glazed Vegetables

Vegetables make great blank canvases for you to add tasty sauces and glazes to. Instead of serving up plain veggies, try adding a mixture of butter and miso to your pan to act as a glaze. This kind of thing could work nicely with any vegetable of your choice but would be especially delicious with root vegetables.

Miso Butter

Another great way to add a punch of flavour to your steamed vegetables or grilled meats is miso butter. You can easily make this by mashing some butter with a spoon of miso and dash of lime to create an easy spread to melt over your dishes or even include in a Japanese-inspired sandwich.

Stir Frys

Adding miso to stir frys is yet another great way to enhance your homemade dinners. Simply mix some miso into your sauce before adding it to your stir fry. You can make your own stir fry sauce from scratch with a bit of miso, rice vinegar, mirin and soy sauce.

Top Tips for Cooking with Miso

As you can see from our ideas, miso is an incredibly versatile ingredient perfect for experimenting with in all your dishes. However, there are some things to be aware of before you start cooking with miso - we give our top tips below. Don’t boil miso - the delicacy of flavour can be compromised if you boil miso. When making soups or broths, make sure all the other ingredients have been boiled and cooked through before reducing the heat and adding the miso. Make sure miso is dissolved - to avoid ending up with grainy soups, make sure you slowly and thoroughly dissolve any miso paste until it is combined with the soup. You can do this easily by combining it with small amounts of liquid in a separate bowl until the paste is the same liquidy consistency as your soup. Thin miso for sauces - again, you will need to thin your miso paste first before adding it to sauces and dressing to ensure there are no lumps. Use miso sparingly in marinades - too much miso marinade on your meat or vegetables will create an unpleasant, grainy coating that’s prone to burning, so make sure you use only a thin layer. Store miso in the fridge - keeping your miso in an airtight container is the most important thing, but storing it in the fridge will help it retain its flavour and colour for longer. Miso is a versatile flavouring that will add depth and a new richness to your recipes - it’s definitely something to try if you haven’t already. Have you been inspired to find a place for miso in your kitchen? Check out our selection of miso and miso-related products here at Oriental Mart - you’re sure to find something to take your recipes to the next level!