All about Miso
What is Miso?
Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning product that is made by fermenting soybeans with salt and Koji (Koji is Aspergillus oryzae, a mold that's widespread in Japan) and sometimes rice, barley or other ingredients. Most people associate miso with miso shiro soup. Koji is a fermentation starter that is commonly found in many Japanese foods such as soy sauce, sake, mirin, and kombucha. |
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Miso can bring awesome umami qualities to everything from salad dressings to roasted vegetables. Which Miso should I use? As a general rule of thumb the darker the color of Miso the stronger the flavor. Here's a handy guide to that will tell you which miso to use for what application.
White Miso (Shiro Miso)
Shiro Miso is actually light yellow in color and is made by fermenting soy beans with rice and it is fermented for a short time so it is mild and sweet in taste. As it is mild in taste, if you only have room for one miso get this one.
What it's good for: Dressings, soups, marinades, glazes, sauces
Yellow Miso (Shinshu Miso)
Yellow Miso is often made with fermented soybeans and barley. It's slightly stronger than white miso but not as strong as red miso. It's really light brown in color
What it's good for: Dressings, soups, marinades, glazes, sauces
Red Miso (Aka Miso)
Red miso is the strongest and saltiest miso and has the most pungent taste. It is dark reddish brown in color and you only need a small amount to really add an umami punch.
What it's good for: Marinades and glazes for heartier dishes like meats and certain vegetables such as eggplant.
Dashi Miso
Dashi Miso is Miso (usually white or yellow), that is mixed with dashi or fish stock. It has a slight smoked fish flavor from the dashi. You can use dashi miso dressings, soups and marinades.
White Miso (Shiro Miso)
Shiro Miso is actually light yellow in color and is made by fermenting soy beans with rice and it is fermented for a short time so it is mild and sweet in taste. As it is mild in taste, if you only have room for one miso get this one.
What it's good for: Dressings, soups, marinades, glazes, sauces
Yellow Miso (Shinshu Miso)
Yellow Miso is often made with fermented soybeans and barley. It's slightly stronger than white miso but not as strong as red miso. It's really light brown in color
What it's good for: Dressings, soups, marinades, glazes, sauces
Red Miso (Aka Miso)
Red miso is the strongest and saltiest miso and has the most pungent taste. It is dark reddish brown in color and you only need a small amount to really add an umami punch.
What it's good for: Marinades and glazes for heartier dishes like meats and certain vegetables such as eggplant.
Dashi Miso
Dashi Miso is Miso (usually white or yellow), that is mixed with dashi or fish stock. It has a slight smoked fish flavor from the dashi. You can use dashi miso dressings, soups and marinades.
Soy Sauce
If you grew up Asian you probably ate something that was covered in or prepared in soy sauce everyday. In most Asian households soy sauce is as ubiquitous as ketchup. There are probably more than 50 different kinds of soy sauce in your local Asian grocery store. There are Chinese soy sauces, Japanese soy sauces, Korean soy sauces, and Indonesian, Malaysian and Thai soy sauces. There are light and dark soy sauces, thin and thick soy sauces, flavored and plain soy sauces. Which one(s) should you buy and which one do you use for what applications?
If you'd like to learn more about how soy sauces are made Mala Food has a great guide to soy sauces that are commonly available in U.S. markets. You can find it here: https://www.malafood.com/en/the-complete-guide-to-soy-suaces
For me I use an all purpose light soy sauce for most things. My go to soy sauce is Yamasa from Japan. Yamasa has been brewing soy sauce since 1645 and they use a special strain of koji that they have developed themselves. Japanese shoyu is clear in color and is made from only 3 ingredients: Soybeans, wheat, and salt. Fermentation of brewed soy sauce takes at least 6 months. Yamasa is used in many high end restaurants in Japan and can be found in most grocery stores here in the U.S.
If you'd like to learn more about how soy sauces are made Mala Food has a great guide to soy sauces that are commonly available in U.S. markets. You can find it here: https://www.malafood.com/en/the-complete-guide-to-soy-suaces
For me I use an all purpose light soy sauce for most things. My go to soy sauce is Yamasa from Japan. Yamasa has been brewing soy sauce since 1645 and they use a special strain of koji that they have developed themselves. Japanese shoyu is clear in color and is made from only 3 ingredients: Soybeans, wheat, and salt. Fermentation of brewed soy sauce takes at least 6 months. Yamasa is used in many high end restaurants in Japan and can be found in most grocery stores here in the U.S.
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Soy sauce is full of glutamine and that is what provides the umami taste we crave. I frequently add soy sauce to Western dishes that I cook. The gluatmines add a roundness to the flavor and it enhances most all flavors. You can substitute soy sauce for Worcestershire sauce in recipes that call for it. Adding soy sauce to butter and mayonnaise makes an instant dressing for artichokes and asparagus.
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Fish Sauce
Thai cooking relies heavily on fish sauce, as do the cuisines of Vietnam, Indonesia and southern China. Called nam pla in Thai, fish sauce is the seasoning that provides much of the saltiness in Thai recipes. It also has a very short ingredients list. It's essentially just anchovies and salt. It can be made with other fish, but it's unusual. On a visit to my local Asian supermarket I saw bottles labeled with pictures of squid, crab, and whole cornucopias of aquatic life, but they all contained the same ingredients: anchovies and salt. Nam pla is made by layering those two ingredients in big barrels and leaving it to ferment under the hot sun over the course of several months. The anchovies break down in their own juices, and the resulting liquid is extracted, filtered, sweetened with a little sugar, and bottled. Fish sauce brings tremendous complexity to a dip, a marinade or a salad dressing.It's also a perfect substitute for soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or even for salt, and once you've tried a few dashes in a stir fry you'll probably never go back to the wok without it.
Ponzu
Of course you can purchase ponzu sauce already made. Visit your local Asian grocery store and they will have a wide assortment of Ponzu sauces. Kikkoman Ponzu can be found in any grocery store In the U.S. these days.
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Ponzu sauce is one of the great all purpose sauces we have in the world, let alone in Asian cuisines. At it's core is it a citrus based sauce that traditionally uses Yuzu-the Japanese Citron, rice vinegar, soy sauce, mirin (sweet cooking sake) and either dashi or the components of dashi, katsuobushi (dried and shaved bonito flakes) and konbu (dried Kelp). If you can find and use fresh Yuzu you should do so. If you can find Yudachi (Japanese Lime) or Calamansi you can use those citrus relatives as well.
Here is a recipe from Mark Bittman courtesy of the New York Times Ponzu SauceYield 2 1/2 cups Time 15 minutes, plus 2 hours Homemade ponzu will keep for several days with no loss in quality. Ingredients
Method
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Yes! Mayonnaise is an Asian ingredient
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Mayonnaise is frequently found in Japanese, Korean, and Hawaiian island cuisine, especially in salads. The Japanese have a soft spot for mayonnaise and Kewpie mayonnaise has a global cult following. Japanese mayo is quite different from its Western cousin. It's made from egg yolks only and tends to be richer and thicker than American mayonnaise. Japanese mayo contains egg yolk, apple or rice vinegar. The typical American mayonnaise contains whole eggs, distilled vinegar, water, salt, sugar. The Japanese use "their" mayonnaise on many varied items, not just as a dressing for burgers and sandwiches. Kewpie Mayonnaise has been made in Japan since 1925. Aspiring to create a brand everyone loves, founder Toichiro Nakashima named the nourishing condiment "KEWPIE Mayonnaise", with the hope of improving physique of Japanese people. In 1925 when Nakashima launched Japan's first mayonnaise, he used twice as much egg yolk as imported mayonnaise of that time. This rich mayonnaise took Japan by storm and it's still popular today. Now the Kewpie Mayonnaise company has multiple kinds of mayonnaise for different tastes and different uses.
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Don't forget Wasabi and Sriracha flavored mayonnaise either! Both of these have a place at the table, quite literally! Trader Joe's carries wasabi mayonnaise as a regular stock item. Yes can always mix sriracha with plain mayonnaise to make a sriracha mayonnaise.
Yuzu Kosho
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Yuzu Kosho was a well kept Japanese secret. What is Yuzu Kosho? Well, it's a paste condiment that has been used in Japan for centuries. It is a paste made up of chilis, citrus (most often Yuzu or Citron) and salt that's fermented. It's the perfect blend of heat, citrus and salt. In Japan Yuzu Kosho is typically used on yakitori or for that matter on anything grilled. It adds a special kick to anything you can imagine. I've used it in Sorbets dressings and in marinades. You can make your own yuzu kosho or you can purchase it from your local Japanese grocery. There are two kinds of Yuzu Kosho that you can purchase, Red & Green. The red tends to be spicier and will provide a more in your face heat. The green is milder and will give you more of a smoldering burn. You should get some today and start experimenting with it and I'm sure it will be one of your go to seasonings in no time.
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