What Is Miso?

Dollop of miso in a blue bowl with flowers

What is Miso?

[A Short Answer]

Miso (pronounced mee-so) is a delicious, all-purpose, high-protein seasoning which has been an important staple in Japanese cuisine for over 1000 years. It is used for many of the same purposes that we in the West use salt. Miso is usually made from a combination of soybeans, cultured grain, and salt by a unique double fermentation and aging process which was elevated to a state of fine craftsmanship in medieval Japan. Unpasteurized miso is a living fermented food containing natural digestive enzymes, Lactobacillus, and vast numbers of other probiotic microorganisms; which aid in digestion, and ward off and destroy harmful microorganisms, thereby helping to create a strong immune system. Research has shown that miso can also help cleanse the body of toxins from nicotine, radiation, and atmospheric pollution, as well as to dissolve accumulations of cholesterol. Overall, miso has an alkalizing effect on the bloodstream, a condition thought to promote resistance to disease.1 In traditional Japan, miso gained a special place in the minds and hearts of generations who came to enjoy miso soup as an essential part of their daily life. Please read this inspiring testimony by Dr. Tatsuichiro Akizuki (1916-2005), director, St. Francis Hospital, Nagasaki, eyewitness and heroic survivor of the atomic bomb attack in 1945:
I feel that miso soup is the most essential part of a person’s diet . . . I have found that, with very few exceptions, families which make a practice of serving miso soup daily are almost never sick . . . By enjoying miso soup each day, your constitution will gradually improve and you will develop resistance to disease. I believe that miso belongs to the highest class of medicines, those which help prevent disease and strengthen the body through continued usage . . . Some people speak of miso as a condiment, but miso brings out the flavor and nutritional value in all foods and helps the body to digest and assimilate whatever we eat . . . I use and have deep respect for modern medicines such as antibiotics and modern surgical techniques, yet they must only be employed when absolutely necessary. Of prime importance is the development of a strong constitution through proper eating. The basic condition of a person’s constitution determines whether or not he will be only mildly and temporarily affected by diseases, or be seriously and chronically affected.2
Dr. Akizuki was a physician at the former Urakami (now St. Francis) Hospital of Nagasaki during and after the atomic bomb attack on August 9, 1945. The hospital was located only 1,500 meters (about 1640 yards) from the epicenter of the atomic explosion.3 His book, Nagasaki 1945, was the first full-length eyewitness account of the atomic bomb attack on Nagasaki. Dr. Akizuki became a heroic figure in Japan and later became chairman of the Nagasaki Foundation for the Promotion of Peace. Read more here.

Please scroll down for a longer answer.

I'm Still Asking: What Is Miso?

Christian Elwell, Co-founder of South River Miso

Miso is one of the outstanding treasures of Japanese culture for the universal benefit of humanity. Miso as we know it today is the result of well over 1000 years of food craft, developed out of a mind-set and world-view which intuited food to be our best medicine.
The word miso first appeared in the Japanese script around 800 AD. Among the royalty it was sometimes called “…higurashi, meaning ‘a clear-toned summer cicada’ whose song is said to be able to penetrate even the hardest stone. Likewise, the rich fragrance and fine flavor of miso were known to penetrate and season other foods. For this reason, in the Kyoto area miso is still occasionally called mushi or bamushi meaning ‘insect or honorable insect’.”4 Many scholars theorize that miso developed from earlier fermented foods introduced into Japan from China along with the arrival of Buddhism in the 6th Century AD. Others trace the origins of miso to the northeastern provinces of Japan itself where archeological evidence indicates the early mastery of fermentation processes. According to the insight of Japanese spiritual traditions, miso is a gift to all of mankind from the gods to assure lasting health, longevity, and happiness.5
Three miso ingredients in bowls

At South River, the deeper motive and spiritual impulse behind our work with miso is very much aligned with this venerable tradition: We must continue to ask today, how can our food carry healing forces necessary to support and strengthen the divine intent of the human spirit?

Miso has no equivalent among western foods. It is made through a unique double fermentation process. Cooked beans (traditionally only soybeans were used) are mixed together with salt and fermented grain, called koji (usually made from rice or barley). This mixture is then placed into wooden fermentation vats and allowed to age and ripen for a few weeks, for several months, or for several years, depending on the variety and its salt content. Traditional natural miso is always unpasteurized and has a distinct chunky texture.6

As food for thought, it should be said that miso is the unique fermentation of seeds: seeds from the grass and clover families of plants which carry the essence of life, and which are the basis, direct or indirect, of the flesh and blood, “bread and wine”, of our humanity.

As food for the table, miso can be thought of as an all-purpose savory seasoning for flavoring soups and vegetable dishes, or for making salad dressings, sauces, and spreads. It is used in many of the same ways we in the West use salt, only miso is a much more balanced way of using salt. As a condiment, only a few teaspoonfuls are used per person on a daily basis. At the same time, miso is such a concentrated source of high-quality plant protein and other nutrients that only a small amount is necessary to complement and enhance the nutritional value and flavor of other plant-based foods.

There are many different types and varieties of miso, distinguished by the ingredients used and their proportions. The more savory, longer-aged varieties develop warm, earthy tones ranging from rich chocolate browns to loamy blacks as the miso darkens with age. Lighter varieties of miso, made with less salt and aged for less time, appear in sunlight tones of creamy yellow, caramel, and beige.

Each variety of miso has its own distinct flavor and aroma. The darker varieties are more savory, rich in protein, almost meat-like to taste.7 The lighter types are comparatively sweet and refreshing to taste, with the powerful activity of amylase enzymes. To sensitive palates, no two varieties of miso taste the same; and the range of colors, textures, and aromas is as varied as the ingredients used. In Japan, different regions are known for their distinctive varieties of miso. There are specialty shops which sell many different kinds of miso, just as you would expect to find many varieties of cheese in a quality food market in the West.

Miso has earned its reputation as a flavorful and healthful ingredient in the kitchens of many diverse cultures, and it is prized by cooks of all traditions for its almost unlimited versatility. Miso is most commonly used to season soothing soups and stews; to make delicious homemade sauces, dressings, dips, and sandwich spreads; to make jams and relishes, or chutney toppings for simple grain dishes. It can be used like cheese in casseroles; as a gravy base with sautéed or steamed vegetables; as a masterful tenderizing marinade for fish, poultry, and meats; as a starter for unyeasted bread-making; as a pickling medium for vegetables. In The Book of Miso, the classic and most complete English language reference, there are over 400 recipes using miso in 15 different categories of traditional use.8

Finally, we must acclaim, with Dr. Akizuki above, the therapeutic value of miso as a superlative medicinal food. In addition to its delicious flavor, miso enlivens and strengthens our immune system, the foundation of our health and resistance to disease. Fine quality, unpasteurized miso is an extraordinary, living, probiotic food. It contains a vast storehouse and complex diversity of natural digestive enzymes, Lactobacillus, and many other probiotic microorganisms, which aid in the digestion and assimilation of whatever foods we eat.9 As such, miso is a powerful ally, one of the best, in making possible the sage advice of Michael Pollan: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”10

Wisely given, Miso gives its own wisdom.11

Notes:

  1. William Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyagi, The Book of Miso (Ten Speed Press: 1983), chapter 2
  2.  The Book of Miso, page 25, excerpt from Dr. Akizuki, Physical Constitution and Food.
  3.  Tatsuichiro Akizuki, Nagasaki 1945 (Quartet Books, 1981)
  4.  The Book of Miso, page 221.
  5.  Michio Kushi, How to Cook with Miso (Tokyo: Japan Pub.,1978), pg. 27
  6.  The Book of Miso, page 33.
  7.  It is as if the grains and beans through the lengthy fermentation process are transfigured to an animal level.
  8.  The Book of Miso, chapters 5 and 6.
  9.  There is considerable current research regarding functional and medicinal foods. For miso, see, for example: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9731531
  10. Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto (New York: Penguin Books, 2008)  See also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiPVT_0iVk0
  11.  In memory of Anna Bond (1942-2015), courageous and creative pioneer in the use of food as medicine, who lived above the miso shop for several years. She composed this inspired phrase for one of our first brochures.

Our Hand-Crafted Miso is Made for You!

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