Miso is one of the most familiar flavors in Japanese home cooking. For many people in Japan, its aroma is associated not with restaurants or special occasions, but with ordinary meals prepared at home. At its simplest, miso is a fermented paste made from soybeans, koji, and salt. Yet this definition only begins to explain what miso is. Depending on how it is made, the same basic ingredients can produce remarkably different colors, aromas, and flavors. Outside Japan, many people first encounter miso through miso soup. But in Japanese kitchens, miso is also used to season vegetables, meat, fish, simmered ...
