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Miso (味噌)

Miso - Soybean Paste Miso, a salty, fermented soybean paste, whose history in Japan goes back 1200 years to Imperial and Buddhist kitchens, is still one of the indispensable daily staples in Japanese cooking. Its robust flavor, long shelf life and exceptional nutritional value were soon valued and favored by the warrior class samurai, who eventually took political power from the Emperor in the 12th century. By the 15th century, the consumption of miso spread to commoners, and the popular miso shiru (miso soup) that is universally enjoyed today was born. The production of miso employs soybeans, rice or barley, sea salt and koji mold, a fermentation starter. Koji is applied to steamed grain that is then mixed with cooked soybeans along with sea salt and spring water. The mixture is left to ferment up to 18 months. The flavor, color and texture of miso varied from region to region, and, house to house (miso was once made in many households across Japan), depending on the climate, materials used, fermentation length and specific bacteria living in the place where the miso was made. Miso offers almost the same essential amino acids (vegetable protein) as milk. When it is consumed with rice in a traditional Japanese diet, miso compensates for some of the amino acids, such as lysine, which rice lacks. A cup of miso soup a day is great for one's health.

Introduction

Miso is categorized into three basic types, according to the choice of ingredients. Except for soybean miso, miso can have two to three different colors in each category — light beige, yellowish beige and brown. These variations indicate the length of fermentation and the degree of saltiness. Light-colored miso is fermented for only a short amount of time, less salty and mildly flavored. Longer fermentation produces darker miso, which is salty and has rich and robust flavor and aroma. More acidity is noticed in darker miso. Miso, especially the less fermented varieties, has distinctive sweetness that is the result of rice or barley fermentation.

Soybean Miso

Mamemiso (豆味噌)

Soybean miso is produced in Aichi, Gifu and Mie Prefectures in central Japan. Traditionally it is a 100 % soybean-based miso, but today a little wheat may be added for better aroma. The representative type is Hatcho miso from Aichi. It has a firm and dense texture with bitter chocolate-like dark color and rich bean flavor with slight, but pleasant acidity and bitterness. It contains about 11% salt by volume. Mamemiso is especially good for braising meat and strongly flavored fish. Mamemiso is frequently mixed with sweet rice miso to produce Akadashimiso, which has a softer texture and a more complex and appealing flavor. Akadashimiso produces refined tasting miso soup and is frequently served at the final course of a formal Japanese meal. For better-flavored miso soup or sauce, it is a good idea to mix together all different kinds of miso.

Rice and Soybean Miso

Komemiso (米味噌)

Komemiso is the most popular miso in Japan and there are three varieties.
1. Sweet and light beige (Ama-shiromiso) (甘白味噌)
A representative of this type is Saikyo Shiromiso from Kyoto Prefecture. It contains 6% salt by volume and is good for use in sweet tasting miso soups and mild tasting dressings, sauces and marinades.

2. Salty and yellow beige (Shiromiso) (白味噌)
A representative of this type is Shinshu miso. It contains 13% salt by volume and is good for use in richly flavored miso soups, dressings, sauces and marinades.

3. Salty and brown (Akamiso) (赤味噌)
A representative of this type is Sendai miso and Echigomiso. It contains 13 to 15% salt by volume and is good for use in salty, robust tasting miso soups, dressings, sauces, and marinades and for braising meats.

Barley and Soybean Miso

Mugimiso (麦味噌)

Mugimiso is produced in the barley growing region of Kyushu, the southern large island of Japan. Some Mugimiso also comes from Saitama and Tochigi Prefectures, north of Tokyo. There are two varieties.
1. Sweet and light beige (Shiromiso) (白味噌)
contains 10% salt by volume and is mellower, but has a distinctive sweetness associated with the barley. This is an essential miso for the Kyushu specialty, Satsuma-jiru miso soup (see recipe). Shiromiso is good for use in milder tasting dressings, sauces and marinades.

2. Salty and brown (Akamiso) (赤味噌)
contains 13% salt by volume and is salty but has a notable slight barley sweetness. It is good for use in robust tasting miso soups, dressings, sauces and marinades.

Miso Traditional Recipe

Satsuma-jiru
(Satsuma-style Miso Soup)

This chicken and vegetable-studded, meal-in-soup comes from Satsuma (the present Kagoshima prefecture), Kyushu Island. During the Feudal Era, warriors enjoyed cock fighting in order to elevate their own fighting spirit. After the game, unfortunate defeated cock was cooked and eaten in the soup.

R E C I P E (5 servings)

4 cups water
10 ounces chicken thigh with bone, skinned, cut into bite-sized pieces
5 ounces daikon radish, peeled, cut into 1/4 inch slices and then cut into halves
2 ounces carrots, peeled, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 ounces gobo (burdock), peeled, cut diagonally into 1/4 inch slices
3 ounces konnyaku (taro gelatin), cut into irregular, bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup sliced scallions (the green part)
2 to 3 ounces white shiro mugimiso (white barley miso) or 11/2 to 2 ounces aka
mugimiso (red barley miso)
Shichimi togarashi (seven spice powder)
In a pot, bring water with the chicken to a boil and cook for 15 minutes, skimming off the foam as it accumulates. Add the vegetables and konnyaku, except the scallions, and cook until tender. Add the miso and dissolve. Divide the soup into 4 Japanese soup bowls and garnish each bowl with the scallions and shichimi togarashi.

Miso Modern Recipe

Chicken with Spicy Koji
(Hacho-blended Miso Gravy)

Blending mellow, sweet komemiso and soybean-based mamemiso spiced with hot paprika makes a glossy, rich and delicious sauce.

R E C I P E (4 servings)

1/4 cup ama-shiromiso (sweet and light beige rice miso) or kome kojimiso (chunky sweet and light beige rice miso)
1/4 mamemiso (soybean miso)
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon hot paprika
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
4 chicken thighs with bones and skin attached
4 Italian or Japanese eggplants, grilled, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup tomato sauce
Sake (rice wine)
In a bowl, mix and stir the two misos, paprika, lime juice and olive oil with a whisk. Insert about 1 tablespoon sauce under each chicken skin and rub over the muscle meat. Rub each skin of chicken with 1 additional teaspoon of sauce. Let the chicken stand for 20 minutes. In an oiled, heated skillet, add the chicken and cook it over medium-low heat until the skin side is golden brown, or about 4 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook it in a heated oven (325°F) for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and keep it warm. Scrape the burnt bits from the bottom of the skillet and discard them along with the oil. Add generous amounts of sake and water to the skillet and bring it to a simmer. Add the remaining sauce and cook until it is reduced to a thin, syrupy texture. Serve the chicken drizzled with the sauce and the eggplant topped with the tomato sauce.

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