Annabel's Pantry - Miso
Every now and then you come across an ingredient that is so useful you wonder how you ever cooked without it. Miso is such a substance. When you want a flavour that is rich and deeply layered, miso delivers. The reason for this is a taste known as umami. While Western cuisine recognises four basic taste sensations: salty, sour, sweet and bitter, all of which are sensed in different parts of the tongue, Japanese cuisine has long included a fifth taste – umami, which loosely translates as “savoury deliciousness”. It was not until 2000 that researchers discovered the human tongue has taste receptors for umami.
Umami is found in fermented and aged foods, such as soy sauce, miso and dried seaweed. Other densely flavoured savoury foods such as tomato paste, stock, fish sauce, anchovies and parmesan cheese are also rich sources of umami. (Western yeast spreads such as Marmite and Vegemite can also be considered umami). By adding umami to your flavour repertoire you can discard the habit of using fat as a means to carry flavour and to give food that yummy mouth feel. Umami is just as tasty, but it’s much healthier.
Miso is a primary umami ingredient and it makes for a superbly versatile, flavoursome and nutritious pantry staple. It is used as flavouring for soup, stews and pickles, as a marinade, a cooking liquid and as a sauce or salad dressing. For the greatest nutritional benefits miso should not be boiled, but rather added to a soup or dish just before serving.
A rich, salty paste, miso is made from fermented soybeans and, usually a grain, such as rice, barley or rye. There are many different types of miso distinguished by ingredients and by vintage. Miso can be fermented for as little as five days or for up to several years. The results vary in flavour, texture, colour and aroma.
In Japan, miso varieties are identifiable by region; white (shiromiso) and red (akamiso) are most common in Japan and are most likely to be the varieties available on our supermarket shelves. Don’t forget to check your local Asian grocery or speciality Japanese store for a wider range.
White miso tends to be quite light and sweet and is good for dressings and soups, while darker miso is very rich and salty; these are best for soup. When using miso as flavouring for soups and stews, add it at the end of cooking.
Store miso in the refrigerator, where it will keep for several months. The white mould that sometimes forms on miso is harmless. It can be scraped off.
NUTRITION
As a soybean product, miso is rich in protein, B vitamins and minerals such as calcium. A bowl of miso soup provides about a sixth of an adult’s daily protein requirement. Miso also has the benefit of being low in fat and calories. You can use miso as a substitute for salt – it delivers the flavour, but with much less sodium.
There have been a number of studies that suggest that a diet with a high soy intake, including miso, may have a protective effect against breast cancer, but there are no definitive conclusions as yet.
COOKING WITH MISO
For the simplest winter warmers, use miso as a base for a delicious broth soup or as a tasty grill or roast glaze. You can also add miso to gravy to boost the flavour.
MISO SOUP WITH TOFU & CARROT
| Prep | 5 minutes |
| Cook | 3-4 minutes |
| Serves | 4 |
1 recipe Miso Flavours
4 cups water
150-200g tofu, diced
1 large carrot, shredded
2 spring onions, finely sliced lengthways
Miso Flavours
2 tbsp miso paste
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp soy sauce
zest of ½ orange
1 tsp sesame oil
Optional: 1 tsp dashi or Japanese soup stock powder
Place miso flavours in a pot with water and bring to a simmer. Divide tofu, carrot and spring onions between 2 serving bowls and pour over hot broth.
