Miso Paste
© Denzil Green
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Miso Paste is a savoury, fermented bean paste made in Japan. It can be used as a condiment, or an ingredient in cooking.
It is made from a starter culture which will include steamed rice or barley, and then mixed with cooked beans (typically soybeans) and salt. The beans ferment, and the taste produced is somewhat meaty or mushroomy. Miso can be spread on things, used as a dipping sauce or a marinade, or used to flavour a soup.
The lighter-coloured misos, called “White Miso (aka “shiro miso”), are made from soybeans. They are sweeter, milder and more delicate than the darker misos because they are fermented for less time.
Cooking Tips
Some recipes will call for a blend of different types of misos.
Equivalents
1 cup = 275 g = 10 oz by weight
1 tablespoon = 20 g