All About MISO

 

What is Miso?

Miso is such a kind of ingredient made by fermenting soybeans and other components.  Miso is used primarily for cooking a Miso Soup. It is very well known in Japan and has been a part of the dietary life of Japanese people for more than 1300 years. In other words, Miso is a fermented food and created by the activity of microorganisms. I found 2 (two) kinds of Miso. First, Miso contains alcohol. Second, Miso without alcohol, and recently I also found Certified Halal Miso. Miso is available in the supermarket in Japan. Later I knew that Miso not only can be used as the main ingredient for Miso Soup, but it can also be used for cooking any saute. 

From the official Miso Company website, I get the information that Miso is divided into 4 (four) categories:

• Rice Miso: Made with rice, soybeans, and salt. White Miso is also a type of rice miso.
• Barley Miso: Made of barley, soybeans, and salt. Main producers are located in the Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu regions.
• Soybean Miso: Made of soybeans and salt. Main producers are located in the Chukyo region.
• Blended Miso: Made by blending two or three types of rice miso, barley miso, or soybean miso. Blended Miso can also be made from rice koji, barley koji, or soybean koji. Miso other than rice miso, barley miso, and soybean miso are also categorized as blended Miso.

When I was studying in Japan, I used to shop at the local supermarket, Cupid Yamato. We usually call Cupid Yamato a Supa. In my second year, I intensively cooked Miso Soup. 

See the picture below is a kind of nonAlcohol Miso that I bought in Japan. For as long as I remembered, the price of this Miso is not been over 500 yen.

The type of this miso can be checked here. The type of the Miso is : KOJI BIJIN MISO 650G

Made with 100% Japanese rice and a lavish amount of rice koji, this additive-free Miso is mildly sweet and deeply savory.

Ingredients: Rice, soybeans (non-MGO), salt

They also announce if this Miso is Additive Free, No MSG added, and vegetarian.

This is the recently known Certified Halal Miso from Website Cupid Yamato. 

How is the Taste of Miso?

From my experience, the taste of Miso is unique and flavorful because I add it with soy sauce and broth. But, according to the website of the Miso Company, Miso flavor is created in a complex combination of sweetness, saltiness, umami, sourness, bitterness, and astringency.

• The Sweetness Miso : Starch in the rice is broken down by amylase in the koji. A higher rice koji content will result in sweeter Miso. When Miso is allowed to age for a long time, the yeast and lactic acid bacterium consume the sugar content. If the sugar content is dramatically reduced, it creates a so-called "dry" state.
• Aging and Umami: Umami of Miso is influenced by amino acids (mainly glutamic acid) formed when the soybean protein breaks down. The umami increases with aging. Umami is not formed solely by glutamic acid but is formed when saltiness, sourness, and sweetness are blended, and a pleasing aroma and moderate viscosity are added. As aging progress and the soybean continues to break down, the stimulation felt on the tongue softens, and the Miso develops a broader and richer taste.
• Saltiness of Miso: The extremely salty Miso in the early stages of preparation loses some of its saltiness as it matures. This phenomenon, in which the salinity perceived by the tongue decreases even though the salt concentration does not change, is called "shio-nare" and is the result of the sour and umami components. Lactate, peptides, and amino acids are all substances that cause "shio-nare."
• Additive-Free Miso: Additive-free Miso is prepared without adding alcohol to the kuradashi Miso (removed from the aging tank). It is directly filled into the container. The container may expand during the distribution process since the yeast activity continues and promotes fermentation.

That is the explanation about the process how the taste is made for Miso.

I have my recipe for cooking my miso soup. I just knew another ingredient from youtube to make my Miso Soup is more delicious.

Here is my recipe:

Broth:

1. Acnhovy
2. Dried Seaweed

Vegetables:

1. Nameko (Type of mushroom)
2. Chives 
3. Tofu

Ingredients: 

1. Soy sauce 
2. Miso 

How To Make : 

• First, I will make broth from anchovy and dried seaweed. Then, we boil it with water for about 15 minutes. After the broth is made, I take out anchovy and dried seaweed from the water.
• I  add the tofu that has been cut into small pieces and Nameko into the broth.
• Add soy sauce and Miso. Wait until it is boiled and is ready to serve.

The broth makes the taste of the miso soup stronger—no need to add salt. You can also look for another recipe for making the broth from YouTube.

When I returned to Indonesia, I also brought 1 (one) Miso from Japan. Then, I am so happy when I found Miso in Indonesia Supermarket with the halal label.  I can keep cooking with Miso.

Here is the Miso that I found in Indonesia. I found it in All Fresh. 

The ingredients of this Miso are: 

• Water 
• Soybean 
• Rice 
• Salt 
• Rice Starch 
• Aspergillus Oryzae
• Potassium Sorbate (as Preservative)

Yup, unfortunately, there is a preservative in the ingredients while

In Japanese Miso, there is a type of additive-free Miso.  But, It just okay for the moment to me enjoying Indonesia food.

 Another source