At first, miso was considered a delicacy, only available to Japanese nobility and monks-they ate the fermented paste either as a spread or on its own. According to the Japan Miso Promotion Board, miso was first introduced in Japan in the 7th century. Though miso has become emblematic of Japanese cuisine, the ingredient is believed to have originated in China or Korea. It’s a vital ingredient in Japanese cooking, often used to bring a wallop of savory flavor to soups (like miso soup and hot pot), noodles, and yakitori dishes. In fact, over 1,300 variations of the umami-rich paste are in use today. Factors like the type of koji used and the length of fermentation can result in infinite varieties of miso, including some that contain no soybeans at all (more on that below). Miso, a.k.a. fermented soybean paste, is made by combining just three simple ingredients-soybeans, salt, and koji (a type of fungus cultivated on rice and other grains)-and allowing the mixture to age for months or even years. But before we dive into all the kinds of miso you may spot at the supermarket, let’s start with the basics. But what is miso exactly? And how can you incorporate it into your own cooking routine? Below, we’ll guide you through a few of the many, many varieties of miso available around the world and talk about a few of our favorite ways to use each one. In recent years, the fermented staple has grown in popularity across the globe, dressing tangles of glossy spaghetti and adding nuanced flavor to baked goods. For centuries, miso has claimed a central spot in the Japanese culinary canon.
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