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Mastering Japanese umami with miso's simple elegance
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Dear Reader, It was late at night and I had stopped by the supermarket to buy some salmon filets but hadn’t really thought about how to cook them. When I got home, I looked in the kitchen to see what I could use for seasoning and found the cabinets sparse. Another night of salmon seasoned with salt, pepper, and olive oil, I groaned to myself for not buying more spices while I was at the store. But as I double-checked my fridge for ingredients, I found a small bag of leftover miso that my grandmother sent me. I checked the expiration date and found that it still had six months left on it. Yes! Health benefits of miso Miso is a fermented paste made from plant protein-rich soybeans and grains and has been used in Japanese cuisine for centuries. It is an incredibly versatile ingredient that is full of umami flavor and health benefits and contains millions of gut-friendly bacteria that help digestion. Good gut health has been linked with not just good physical health, but also stable mental health in multiple nutrition studies. In addition, a probiotic-rich diet may help reduce your risk of being sick and help you recover faster from infections, and may reduce the need for infection-fighting antibiotics, so it’s a great addition for those looking to boost the immune system. The 3 basic kinds of miso There are several kinds of miso, and while they vary based on the ingredient ratios and fermentation process, they typically break down into three kinds:
3 beginner-friendly recipes using miso 1. Miso soup The simplest, most standard way to cook with miso paste.
*Tip: Scoop miso using a ladle, add in a bit of hot water from the pot into the ladle, and dissolve it in the ladle first. Once the miso paste is more liquid, add it to the soup: This ensures that there are no miso clumps in the soup and everything is thoroughly dissolved. 2. Miso-mayo dressing for a refreshing salad
3. Saikyo miso-yaki marinade
Elevating what you already have in your fridge While miso paste is typically known for its use in miso soup, the condiment goes way beyond this in terms of its use. In addition to the recipes listed above, you can use it to sauté your vegetables, flavor the base for ramen noodle soups, season grilled onigiris or mochi, and much more! To make flavorful and healthy dishes, we don’t need to have a fully stocked kitchen and 10 different spices — with just a small kitchen stocked with miso paste and a few other kitchen staples, we can season our soups, vegetables, and fish to create a well-balanced meal at home. Rich in umami flavor and full of beneficial gut bacteria, consider keeping miso in your fridge and get creative with how to use it to flavor your dishes. Warmly, Kaki Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, please forward this email to your friends and family (or share the article) 🌱 If this email was forwarded to you, it's nice to meet you 😊
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Hi, I'm Kaki!
I teach about health inspired by simple Japanese philosophies and lifestyle practices, so you can learn to find peace, fulfillment, strength, and health in your own body. Sign up for my newsletter to receive all my writing and exclusive resources!
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