Miso
fermented soybean paste · Condiment
4 varietiesTop 10 pairings
A thick, savoury Japanese paste of soybeans fermented with salt and kōji, a grain grown with mould. Deeply umami, salty and faintly sweet, it runs from mellow white to dark, pungent red. It seasons soup and glazes fish.
Picking a good onedrag
Sealed, even, sweet-maltyFuzzy, sour, off
Open and in useEveryday bestKeep it cold and take clean spoonfuls. Whisk it into soup off the heat, and salt the dish only after it's in.
Smell at the open tubSavoury core clean, caramel flat
The surface in the tubWhite film or dark top: skim it
The paste on a spoonCoarse, or liquid on top: stir it in
Read the tubBlend or no grain named: everyday