MISO
Fermented Soybean Paste
Although miso, along with soy sauce, is a fermented condiment symbolic of Japanese food culture, it’s even older than soy sauce.
Originating in ancient Chinese hishio, by the Muromachi period, through many trials and errors it became consumed as a source of soybean protein in the form of miso soup.
The production method is simple, consisting of crushing steamed soybeans and mixing it with koji and salt to ferment and age.
In the past, each family produced their own miso, which created the word “temae-miso,” which created the word “temae-miso.” Homemade miso has been regaining popularity in recent years.
MAME MISO
Red Miso. Soybean koji based miso with a reddish brown color due to the long fermentation period. The most well-known type is Aichi’s Hatcho miso.
KOME MISO
Brown Miso. This miso uses soybean, rice koji, and salt and is produced in various areas. It’s also known as inaka miso (countryside miso).
SHIRO MISO
White Miso. Tastes sweet with a higher proportion of koji than soybean. Originating in the Kansai region, it’s also called Saikyo miso and used in Japanese sweets.
MUGI MISO
Barley Miso. Miso originating in the Kyushu and Shikoku regions, that uses barley and malt. Has a unique scent and flavor.