mmmmmmMiso! I love miso. It's delicious, savory, salty, low in calories - but high in sodium - and easy to use.
So, what is miso? At its most basic, miso is a paste made from fermented soy beans. Sometimes other components are fermented along with the soybeans, such as rice, barley, or ginger. Miso is very versatile. It's soft texture (a little like canned pumpkin, only a little thicker) makes it easy to use as a sandwich spread, marinade, soup base, salad dressing - all sorts of things. In Japanese cuisine, there's even a sauce called tamamiso, which is a sauce of egg yolks and miso, among other things. It's like a Japanese version of Hollandaise. Chances are, if you've ever had geoduck sashimi, you've had it. In Japan, miso soup is a traditional foundation for breakfast (so I've read. I have, alas, not yet been to Japan, although I am pretty sure I was Japanese in a former life).
Because I love salt, I think one of the reasons I love miso so much is because of its saltiness. But also, it is a very satisfying, considering its very low caloric content (35 calories per tablespoon).
Another great thing about miso is its low cost per uses in a container and its longevity. Being a fermented item, it pretty much lasts forever (although I should technically tell you to only keep it for 1 year after purchase - I play fast and loose with expiration dates).
I'd love to be able to tell you how miso tastes, but the truth is there are many types of miso, and many different levels of strength of flavor. A general rule is the lighter the miso, the lighter the flavor. I have some light miso, which is fine, but I prefer the darker, stronger flavored miso. I don't know how to describe the flavor except to say it is the essence of umami.
Umami, the fifth taste (the others being sweet, sour, bitter, and salty - hot is a feeling, not a flavor), can only really be described as savory deliciousness. It's similar to the flavor of a caramelized piece of meat, but even that doesn't explain the flavor. Umami typically comes for that evil MSG. If you've read RW for awhile, you might know that I am a bit of a champion for MSG.
MSG is very misunderstood. A lot of people don't realize that MSG is naturally occurring. I was waiting on a gentleman the other day - a doctor, I might add - who challenged me on the fact that shitake mushrooms were full of MSG, which made them a pretty good meat substitute (for flavor, anyway, it's pretty lacking in the protein department). "How can they be full of MSG when they're natural?" this doctor said. "MSG is naturally occurring," I said "most MSG is extracted from seaweed." I don't think he really believed me, but another dining companion, also a doctor and a girl, I might add, googled it on her iPhone and determined that I, a mere waitress, was indeed correct. HA!
At any rate, it's possible we love MSG so much because it occurs naturally in large quantities in breast milk (along with sugar). Most milk and meat products contain MSG naturally, which intensifies in cured meats and aged cheeses. This is why Parmesan and Prosecutor are so amazingly delicious. Vegetarian sources of umami include mushrooms and seaweed.
Wow, I've really strayed off topic here. I believe miso has a lot of lovely umami flavor, but I've had a bit of a hard time determining if it has naturally occurring MSG.
So what to do with miso? The most basic thing you can do with miso is make soup. You've probably had tons of miso if you've ever eaten in a Japanese or Korean restaurant. It is very popular to receive a small bowl of miso soup before your meal, typically with some small bits of tofu and seaweed within. If you have had this soup, you might have noticed that the soup will separate a bit. It's no worry, you can just stir it back in.
It's very easy to make miso soup: simply boil some water. Place one tbsp of miso in a bowl and then add one cup of water from a teapot (many people would say that you should never boil miso; you might want to heat your water in a teapot and let it sit off the heat for a few seconds). Pour the hot water over the miso and give it a stir. This is so simple, and yet so satisfying. I think it's the perfect diet food, although any diet guru will tell you it has far too much salt. I find this very simple soup to be a very satisfying snack, especially if you are work and don't have time to eat. You can purchase packets of instant miso soup to pack in your lunch. Some of these contain tofu and seaweed as well, which look teeny tiny in the packet and then bloom when water is added. It's fascinating. These packets are very convenient if, say, you work in a restaurant or coffee shop with constant access to instantly hot water. You can just put it in a coffee cup and have a nice little snack.
For a more satisfying miso soup, I like to throw in some potstickers or other dumplings (you could also use noodles). I brown and boil the potstickers according to package directions (brown them in a little oil in a nonstick pan over high heat for about 1 minute on each side, then add a cup of of water. When the water has all boiled out, the potstickers should be hot and ready). Put some water on to boil. Get out your nice noodle bowl and put 1 tbsp of miso paste in, a tsp of chili paste and a few drops of sesame oil. When the water is ready, pour it over the miso and stir with chopsticks. Add the potstickers and serve! Yummy!
Miso naturally separates from water a little bit, but don't worry - just give your soup a little stir with your chopsticks as you are eating it.
