Miso (味噌) is a traditional fermented soybean paste in Japanese cooking, packed with umami and remarkable health benefits. We will delve into its rich history and diverse varieties and provide tips on shopping, storing, and cooking with miso.
Miso (味噌) is a traditional soybean paste and a cornerstone of Japanese cooking. It is beloved for its unique flavor and numerous health benefits. There are various types of miso pastes, ranging from the ingredients to the flavor profile and color.
What is Miso?
Miso (味噌), also known as fermented soybean paste, is made from soybeans, salt, and koji culture (麹, a fermentation starter, AKA aspergillus oryzae). Sometimes, it incorporates grains such as steamed rice or barley. The mixture is left to age and ferment in cedar-wood kegs at ambient temperature for six months to five years.
Salty, slightly sweet, earthy, and some people even describe it as funky, miso has a deeply layered flavor that can only result from nature and time. The consistency can be smooth or chunky, with bits of koji and mashed soybeans.
It’s used to make miso soup, a warm, umami-rich bowl featuring tofu cubes and seaweed, as a seasoning paste in cooking and hot pot dishes, in marinades for proteins and vegetables, and in desserts.
READ: The Enduring History of Miso.
Different Types of Miso
To start, a wide range of miso varieties are available in the market, making it fascinating to discover them all!
In Japan, miso is categorized based on ingredients (types of koji), color, taste, and region. Each miso maker has their unique formula.
For most of us living outside of Japan, including in the U.S., the options are more limited, but you can still find a variety of choices. You may also find gluten-free miso.
Which miso type is the best?
Imagine cheese and wine; it’s really up to your preference. Each variety of miso varies according to the type of koji used, the ratio of koji to soybeans, and the length of the fermentation and aging period, resulting in distinct flavors and appearances.
Here, I’ll walk you through the varieties of miso that you can typically find in the US.
Miso Types by Ingredient (Koji)
- Rice Miso (米味噌): Rice miso, or kome miso, is the most common type. It is made by fermenting soybeans, salt, and rice koji.
- Barley Miso (麦味噌): Barley miso, or mugi miso, is made by fermenting soybeans, salt, and barley koji. It has a unique aroma and umami flavor. It is very dark in color and can be pretty salty, but it has a rich taste. Barley miso is typically fermented for one to three years.
- Soybean Miso (麦味噌): Soybean miso, or mame miso, is made by fermenting soybeans, salt, and soybean koji. Its unique astringency and rich umami characterize it. It undergoes one to three years of fermentation and has a blackish-brown color and stiff texture.
- Mixed Miso (合わせ味噌): Mixed Miso, chogo miso, or awase miso is a mixture of two or more types of rice miso, barley miso, and soybean miso, or miso made with two or more types of koji.
Miso Types by Color
The color of miso changes depending on the ingredients, the amount of koji, and the fermentation time. The main cause is the Maillard reaction during fermentation and aging.
- Red Miso (赤味噌): Red miso, or aka miso, is made from 70% soybean and 30% rice or barley. The soybeans are steamed before mixing with the koji. The long fermentation (about 1 to 1.5 years) produces darker-colored, stronger, saltier miso (13%). Red miso contains the highest levels of protein of all types of miso. The color can range from deep amber to chestnut. The color is due to the Maillard reaction when the soybean’s amino acids react with the sugars, resulting in browning. Red miso will continue to brown with more time, but it will not spoil due to the high salt content.
- White Miso (白味噌): White miso, or shiro miso, is made from about 40% soybeans and 60% rice or barley. The fermentation period is much shorter (1 to 2 weeks) than red miso, resulting in a slightly less salty and delicately flavored product. The beige color is due to the soybeans’ boiling process, which prevents the Maillard reaction. Of all miso varieties, white miso contains the most carbohydrates and, therefore, tastes the sweetest. The texture is very smooth.
- Yellow Miso or Light-Colored Miso (淡色味噌): Yellowish light-colored miso, or tanshoku miso, is made through the same process as white miso. It is yellow because it has a larger amount of salt than when making white miso, and causes a Maillard reaction compared to white miso due to an extended aging period.
Where to Buy Miso
You can buy miso at Asian/Japanese supermarkets, in a grocery aisle with Asian products in American grocery stores, health food stores, and online (like Amazon).
Most Japanese households stock their fridges with 2-3 types of miso for different uses. Sometimes, we combine different pastes to make miso soup. This way, we won’t get bored with the same flavor. Feel free to shop around for a few brands and varieties you like.
How to Choose Miso
- Check the ingredient list and avoid the ones with any additions such as alcohol, stabilizers, or other additives.
- The best way to find quality miso is to taste it plain. A little goes a long way. Plus, you will get what you paid for, so try to find small-batch miso made using the traditional method.
- Dashi-included miso does not last for a long time.
- My favorite brand of miso: I’ve been using Hikari Miso® for over two decades and have partnered with the company for several years. I always stock several types of miso in my fridge, and my favorite miso has been “Kodawattemasu” miso by Hikari Miso. You can find it on Amazon.
How to Store Miso
Store your miso in the refrigerator to keep it at a cool and constant temperature. This helps halt the fermentation process and prevents mold growth on exposed areas, as miso contains a significant amount of ‘good’ lactic acid bacteria, including Tetragenococcus halophilus and others.
Some unopened miso can be kept in a cool, dry place, away from light and heat. Always check the labels for storage instructions.
Either way, once you open the miso package, seal it tightly when it is not in use. For added protection against oxidation, cover the exposed area with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Always use dry, clean utensils to scoop out the paste to prevent contamination and mold growth.
To store in the freezer, the temperature must stay higher than 25ºF (-5ºC). Under these conditions, miso won’t freeze, but the taste and aroma are best preserved.
Can Miso Paste Go Bad?
Since miso is a fermented food, it can generally be kept long. As long as it’s quality miso, the taste should be consistent for up to a year.
Miso doesn’t spoil due to its high salt content; the color darkens over time, especially in warm environments. That is normal and doesn’t mean it has gone off. The taste degrades if kept for over a year, so check the taste before use.
Signs of Miso Spoilage: If you notice any change in smell, color, texture, or spotty molds, it’s best to be safe and toss the product.
Substitutions for Miso
There is no appropriate substitute for miso. If you’re allergic to soybeans, you can find miso paste made of other beans, such as edamame, azuki beans, and chickpeas.
Some soy-free miso options are Chickpea Miso from Miso Master and South River Chickpea Miso.
If you’re using miso in non-Japanese recipes, such as salad dressings or dipping sauces, you might consider substituting it with tahini or peanut butter. While they share a similar creamy texture, they do not possess the salty-umami flavor profile that miso offers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can eat raw miso! Eating it raw is the best way to obtain probiotics in miso, as it will die off with applied heat. You can also taste the difference between good and bad miso by eating it raw. Use miso raw in salad dressings or dipping sauces.
Check out this post for seasonal ingredients used in miso soup!
¼ cup (60 ml) = 72 grams
1 cup (240 ml) = 288 grams
1 tablespoon (18 g) of miso per miso soup bowl (200-240 ml of dashi soup stock)
Doenjang (된장) is a fermented Korean soybean paste. The key difference is that doenjang is made with soybeans and salt, without the koji starter. This results in a sharper and more robust flavor profile. The culinary uses also vary, as doenjang complements the hearty and chili-spiced Korean cuisine. Korean miso soup is known as doenjang guk, and it may include ingredients like garlic or gochujang. While you can substitute doenjang for miso in a pinch, it is generally not recommended.
Curious to learn about the rich history and miso-making process? Read The Enduring History of Miso.
How to Make Miso from Scratch
Yes! You can also make homemade miso with just four ingredients and a little patience!
If you’re interested, try my homemade miso recipe.
Health Benefits of Miso
Widely recognized as one of the top superfoods for gut health, miso is incredibly rich in amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, such as vitamin K, manganese, zinc, protein, and calcium.
As a probiotic, miso offers many gut and heart health benefits. Known for improving digestion, we even start the day by enjoying miso soup for a traditional Japanese breakfast!
How to Use Miso in Everyday Cooking
In Japan, miso is a dietary staple enjoyed daily in various forms. While miso soup is common, its uses extend far beyond that. You can incorporate miso for seasoning stews, enhancing stir-fries, and making flavorful sauces, marinades, and salad dressings. The versatility of miso even extends to desserts!
Don’t limit yourself to traditional applications; think creatively and use miso as a flavor boost in non-Japanese cooking! Add a spoonful of miso to tomato or meat sauces for a savory kick. Try to incorporate it into creamy soups for added depth of flavor, or use it to create glazes.
Miso’s ability to heighten umami in your dishes is unparalleled, all without significantly increasing the salt content.
👉🏼 Check out 15 Delicious Miso Recipes to get started, or browse our collection for all the miso recipes.
