miso: soybean paste

miso01Miso is a fermented condiment made from steamed soybeans, salt, and a selection of malts. It is used in a variety of Japanese dishes ranging from miso soup to marinades. High in protein, glutamic acid, vitamins and isoflavones, there are plenty of health benefits to miso. It is also rich in lactic bacterium, known to be highly effective in promoting digestive health. Miso is essential to daily wellbeing in Japan—so much so that there is an adage claiming “it’s wiser to pay the miso vendor rather than the doctor.”

Making Miso
The washed soybeans are first soaked in water for twenty-four hours, then crushed and made into a paste. This paste is then blended with some salt and a variety of malts, such as rice and wheat. The mixture is left in tubs to ferment and mature at room temperature for ten to twelve months.

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ISHIMAGO

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As heirs of tradition, we have been making additive and preservative-free miso and soy sauce since 1855.

Website:ishimago.main.jp (Japanese)

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Courtesy of Authentic Japan and Team Shojin