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    Home » Ingredients » Sauces & Condiments

    Miso

    Sep 1, 2022 • Author: Joyce Lee • Leave a Comment • This post may contain affiliate links.

    Miso (which originates from Japan) is a salty and flavorful thick paste that is high in umami and made from fermented soybeans, rice, or barley fermented with salt and koji (mold made with rice, used as a fermentation starter).

    Table of Contents
    • How Do You Use It?
    • Where Can I Buy Miso?
    • How to Substitute Miso
    • How to Store Miso
    • Recipes That Use Miso

    There are many types of miso and they all range in color and flavor depending on what type of grains it uses. The 3 most common types of miso that can be found most easily are white (shiro), yellow (shinshu) and red (aka).

    How Do You Use It?

    The general rule with miso is the lighter the miso the milder and sweeter the flavor. So if you are not 100% sure if you will like miso, start with the light ones first and work your way up.

    The lighter misos are great for sauces, dips, marinades, soups. As you go into the darker ones they will be saltier and more flavorful, so these are great for heavier braised recipes and marinades. I personally love the strong flavor and do use it in soups and sauces as well, but this will be a completely personal preference.

    Where Can I Buy Miso?

    Miso is getting more and more popular and can usually be found at local grocery stores now in the International aisles. If you cannot find it at your local grocery store, you can almost always find it at an Asian grocery store or online.

    How to Substitute Miso

    There is no true substitution for miso, but whenever I need to substitute miso, I like to use soy sauce. It gives the same amount of saltiness as well as the umami-ness but it will lose a bit of that miso fermentation flavor. The texture of miso is completely different than soy sauce, so there is no true 100% substitution for it, so I highly recommend buying a small container to keep around the kitchen since it lasts a very long time in the fridge and it is a very versatile ingredient.

    In cases where miso is the main flavor in a recipe, like in soups/butters/sauces, I would not use soy sauce as a substitute because they do have different flavors and for those types of recipes, you want to retain the miso fermented flavor.

    How to Store Miso

    Once opened, miso should be stored in the fridge. Make sure it is well sealed so it doesn't dry out.  Most packaging will have an expiry date on it, the darker the miso the longer it will last - partially because darker ones have a higher salt content.

    Recipes That Use Miso

    • Miso Garlic Chili Oil
    • Miso eggplant fanned out on a wooden plate
      Miso Eggplant (Nasu Dengaku) with Black Garlic
    • Honey Miso Garlic Roasted Potatoes
    • Miso Red Wine Braised Lamb Shank Recipe
    • A small bowl of miso pumpkin soup garnished with bacon and sour cream
      Easy Miso Pumpkin Soup
    • Pan fried lambchops in a cast iron pan with miso butter
      Pan Fried Lamb Chops with Miso Butter
    • 40 Best Congee Toppings Ideas
    • Egg drop soup in a bowl with a side of vermicelli noodles and green onions
      Easy Corn Egg Drop Soup
    • Spicy Black Garlic Miso Israeli Couscous
    • Roasted Miso Cauliflower Mushroom Soup in two bowls on a table
      Roasted Miso Cauliflower Mushroom Soup
    • Plate of traditional Chinese turnip cake (lo bak go) served with chili oil
      Chinese Turnip Cake (Lo Bak Go, 萝白糕)
    • A large bowl of turkey udon noodle soup with soft boil egg, leftover turkey and bok choy on top, with green onions on the side.
      Easy Udon Noodle Soup with Miso
    • Savory Oatmeal with Miso, Cheese, and Egg
    • Roasted Garlic Miso Blue Cheese Pasta Salad in a large serving plate with plates and serving utensils
      Roasted Garlic Blue Cheese Pasta Salad
    • Creamy Roasted Mushroom Garlic Soup
    • Scallion Pancakes laid out with dipping sauce
      Buttery Scallion Pancakes
    • Homemade Furikake Seasoning
    • Umami Beef & Pork Burgers
    • Miso butter in a black bowl
      Miso Butter

    Full disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  I am providing these links as a way for you to see the product so that you have an idea of what to look for when you go grocery shopping. Any type of ingredients I recommend are ingredients I use at home and any opinions of them are my own opinions.

    More Sauces & Condiments

    • What is Gochujang and 7 Ways to Use It
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      Oyster Sauce

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