Posted on: Wednesday, May 26, 2004

Miso has gone mainstream

•	Misos come in a variety of styles
•	Misoyaki popular on Hawai'i menus
•	Mix and match miso — use it in soups, salads and marinades

By Renee Schettler
Washington Post

Miso's range of colors and textures, clockwise from top: aka miso (deep red), oryori miso wafu (squeeze-bottle caramel-colored miso sauce), kinzanji miso (chunky barley miso conserve), mugi miso (plain barley miso), shiro miso (white miso), Hawai'i-style light miso. Photos by Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser

One of the most traditional ingredients in Japanese cuisine has moved out of the soup bowl and into the squeeze bottle.

Chefs are making miso a household word, lured by its ability to transform the texture and taste of just about anything — French-style ragout, barbecue sauce, salmon, even desserts.

Chef Martin Saylor of Washington, D.C., was introduced to miso when he was stationed in Japan with the Navy. Since then, he has followed his own whim rather than Japanese custom when cooking with miso. At home in suburban Maryland, he regularly stirs a spoonful of miso into a pot of simmering barbecue sauce for body and flavor. "It's killer," he says.

Michel Stroot, chef of the Golden Door Spa in Escondido, Calif., considers miso such a terrific conductor of flavor — a quality normally associated with fats — that he uses it liberally in place of oil in vinaigrettes and marinades.

Cookbook author Dana Jacobi relies on miso rather than cocoa when making mole.

And Kaz Okochi, chef-owner of Kaz Sushi Bistro, sees the fermented soy paste as not much different from soy sauce:. So why not serve it on sashimi?

Miso is a thick, salty paste of fermented soybeans, koji (grain that's been inoculated with a mold that helps break down the soy nutrients in a desirable way), water and sometimes salt. It's not unlike peanut butter in consistency.

An integral component of Japanese cuisine, miso has been revered in Japan for centuries for its depth of flavor and purported curative properties. Widely available in Hawai'i and some Mainland communities with large Japanese populations, it wasn't until the 1960s that miso gained shelf space at natural-food co-ops on the Mainland. But in subsequent years, the paste has emerged on menus and cookbook pages in ways previously unimagined.

Complexity of flavor

The chunky soy paste is often compared with aged Parmigiano for its saltiness, to demiglacé for its depth of flavor, to butter for its richness, to wine for its layered complexity, and to olive oil for its usefulness. Depending on the cook, miso is a flavor enhancer, curing agent, sauce thickener, fat substitute or culinary cure-all. It imparts instant oomph, whether in the hands of a traditional or nonconformist chef.

Miso, when tasted by itself, is overwhelmingly salty with overtones that, depending on the variety, can be robustly earthy, slightly tangy or reminiscent of chocolate, coffee or even toffee. But when miso is used with other ingredients, the flavor is often referred to as umami, the Japanese term for a fifth flavor, different from the familiar salty, sweet, bitter and sour.

Despite the salty taste, miso is acceptable in all but the most sodium-restricted diet. Though a tablespoon contains 330 milligrams of sodium (about the amount in three slices of bacon, but much less than a serving of canned soup), miso is so flavor-rich that a tablespoon goes a long way, particularly in dressings and sauces. For example, a recipe for miso soup to serve four might use as a little as 2 tablespoons miso.

The rest of the miso breakdown (varies depending on brand, but this is for Maru-Hi light-colored, Hawai'i-style miso) looks like this: For 1 tablespoon, 35 calories (10 from fat), 1 gram fat (none of it saturated), 0 cholesterol, 6 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram protein.

Also a health food

Miso also provides meaty savoriness to a vegetarian diet, says William Shurtleff, co-author of "The Book of Miso" (Ten Speed Press, 2001). In recent years, vegetarian cookbook authors have incorporated miso into roasted vegetable paté, hummus and apple crisp.

It's not just body and taste that make some cooks turn to miso. Miso is believed by some to have significant nutritional and medicinal properties. Like yogurt, miso contains live cultures, including lactobacillus. These beneficial enzymes are believed to promote digestion and assimilation of nutrients during digestion. Miso is high in antioxidants and contains protein in the form of easy-to-digest amino acids, as well as minerals and vitamins, particularly vitamin B12. It also is a source of soy isoflavones, phytochemicals believed to reduce the incidence of many diseases, including heart disease and breast cancer.

Miso has been traced to around the 6th century, when Buddhists brought jiang, a liquidy fermented soy product, from China. This sauce was a precursor to soy sauce and to miso.

Since then, miso has been artisanally crafted from soybeans, salt and koji. Koji (KOH-jee ) is a grain or bean — typically rice or barley, but sometimes soy — that has been inoculated with a beneficial strain of bacteria to facilitate fermentation.

Crushed, boiled soybeans are slowly cooled and mixed with the salt and koji. The mixture is transferred to wooden casks and stored in a cool place to ferment for as little as three weeks or as long as three years, depending on the variety. During this time, enzymes break down the protein and starches into a paste of easily digestible amino acids and simple sugars.

Different koji and fermentation times result in different types of miso.

Fermentation fervor

Miso manufactured in climate-controlled environments to shorten the fermentation time is still technically miso, but the product often lacks the complex flavor of artisanal miso.

According to "The Miso Book" by John and Jan Belleme (Square One Publishers, May 2004), most miso that is sold unrefrigerated in plastic pouches — the most common type in the United States — is pasteurized, which kills the enzymes. Unpasteurized versions, usually refrigerated in plastic tubs or screw-top jars, contain live enzymes.

"It's almost a sacred food in the macrobiology philosophy," says Christian Ellwell, founder of South River Miso in Conway, Mass., a producer of artisanally made miso. At South River Miso, two hours west of Boston, they make miso in small batches under natural climatic conditions so as to cultivate the double fermentation process, which creates the live enzymes.

Sales by South River Miso were up 40 percent last year from the typical 14 to 20 percent annual increase in previous years.

Others have seen increased sales, too, including Eden Foods, which makes miso for the health-foods market, and the Whole Foods grocery chain, probably because Americans are finding ways to incorporate miso into their meals even when they're not cooking Japanese food.

"Once miso is liberated from the Japanese tradition, then all kinds of things become possible," says Ellwell.

• • •

Misos come in a variety of styles

Miso comes in a dizzying array — from sandy brown and crumbly, to burnished red and smooth (or almost earthy) in color and texture. In Japan, grocery stores routinely stock 50 or so varieties. The larger Japanese groceries here — Daiei and the Marukai membership store — have more than 40 miso products under 20 or so brand names, many from Japan but also such U.S. brand names as California-based Cold Mountain and Honolulu-based Maru-Hi (made by Hawaiian Miso & Soy Co.) and Marufuku (made by American Hawaii Soy Co.). Prices range from $3.39 for a 17-ounce tub to more than $6 for specialty misos. Typically, grocery stores here offer a handful of brands and types.

Misos can be broadly divided into light and dark. The lighter varieties tend to be mildly tangy and only slightly salty, depending on the brand; the darker misos are saltier, earthier and more bitter. Light misos contain more niacin and sugar; dark misos are higher in protein and isoflavones. Cold Mountain labels its misos "Hawai'i-style" (mild, salty), "Japanese" (more robust, earthy) and "Kyoto-style" (sweet, less salty). Some Japanese misos contain dashi or other ingredients for flavoring; some are thinner-textured and come in convenient squeeze bottles.

Some things to look for:

LIGHT OR WHITE (SHINSHU OR SHIRO) MISO: Made with white or brown rice, soybeans, salt; mild, sweeter, less-salty flavor with sake and caramel overtones. Shinsu is yellowish and saltier; shiro is whitish and sweeter. For light soups, sauces and vinaigrettes.

BROWN RICE (GENMAI) MISO: Soybeans, brown rice, salt. Sandy color. Typically aged 18 to 24 months. Fairly intense saltiness with robust flavor.

RED (AKA) MISO: Soybeans, white or brown rice, salt. Slightly burnished color. Robust and salty flavor. Basic, all-purpose miso. Typically used in soups, stir-fries, marinades and sauces.

BARLEY (MUGI) MISO: Soybeans, barley, salt. Darker than rice miso; reddish brown hue; may be chunky and fibrous. Chocolate or coffee overtones. Used in sauces and marinades.

• • •

Misoyaki popular on Hawai'i menus

For Hawai'i folks used to seeing two or three brands of Island-made miso in any grocery store, the range of misos in Japanese groceries can be startling. Red misos offer a more pungent flavor; white misos are more delicate. Some Japan-made misos are actually thick conserves including ingredients such as barley, millet jelly, eggplant, and/or ginger. Others are flavored with dashi or other ingredients and may come in handy squeeze bottles.

Miso soup aside, the most common use for miso, and the most beloved in Hawai'i, is as a marinade/coating/sauce for misoyaki dishes.

Misoyaki translates literally as "grilled miso" but refers to the practice of marinating or coating meats, fish and tofu with a light, salty-sweet miso-based mixture before grilling, broiling or pan-frying them.

The most widely known version of the dish is misoyaki butterfish (rich and oily black cod, sometimes called sablefish), so ubiquitous here that you can buy fillets already immersed in marinade at some fish markets. Misoyaki 'ahi, (tuna) and aku (skipjack tuna) are also local favorites. There are as many recipes for this dish as there are cooks who make it. Some versions, like the one on the familiar green-and-red Maru-Hi brand container, call for miso, ginger, sugar and sake, a rich and sweet mixture. Another approach, like the one taken by Sam Choy's Diamond Head chef Elmer Guzman in his book "The Shoreline Chef," employs miso with mirin, wine vinegar, sugar and ginger — which gives a more zesty effect.

Misoyaki techniques vary. Many fish recipes call for fillets or steaks (boneless or bone-in) to be marinated for anywhere from half an hour to a couple of days — refrigerated, of course. Some cooks scrape off the thick coating before grilling the fish; others leave it on. The fish may be grilled over an open flame or broiled if you're not up for lighting the hibachi. You can also pan-fry misoyaki fish.

Less often seen here are misoyaki steak, miso chicken and — a favorite Japanese temple food — tofu dengaku, grilled tofu covered with various bright colors and flavors of tofu sauce.

Misoyaki beef is made with a slightly sweet, shoyu- and sake-spiked marinade. Thinly sliced beef is immersed in the mixture for an hour or so, which is then scraped off before the beef is grilled, broiled or pan-fried. The reserved marinade can be gently heated through and served as a sauce.

Misoyaki chicken, made with chunks of boneless thigh or breast meat, is handled similarly — marinated, the marinade scraped off, then the meat is grilled, though it's typical to brush the chicken with the marinade toward the end of its time on the grill.

Misoyaki marinades need not be on the sweet side. Some include garlic, for a little heat and bitterness. At the Daiei bento bar in Honolulu, the miso chicken don (misoyaki chicken atop a bed of rice) is delightfully spicy, the marinade flecked with what appears to be shichimi togarashi (seven-spice powder) or possibly bits of red chili.

This misoyaki butterfish recipe is adapted from "Essentials of Asian Cuisine" by Corinne Trang (Simon & Schuster, 2003).

Misoyaki Butterfish

• 1/2 cup light miso (preferably sweet white miso)
• 3 tablespoons sake
• 3 tablespoons mirin
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 pounds black cod, cod, mackerel or orange roughy

In a bowl, whisk together the miso, sake, mirin and sugar.

Cut the fish into 12 equal pieces. Place the fish in a dish large enough to contain the pieces in a single layer. Pour the marinade over the fish and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours, turning the fish occasionally a total of 4 to 6 times.

Adjust the oven rack to the center position; it should be 6 to 8 inches from the broiler. Preheat the broiler. Line the broiler pan with foil.

Remove the fish from the miso mixture, scraping as much of the mixture from the fish as possible. Discard the marinade.

Broil the fish until it turns dark golden.

Turn the fish and broil until the fish flakes easily and is opaque throughout, 12 to 15 minutes total, depending on thickness. Serve hot.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Per serving (based on 6 servings): 185 calories, 34 g protein, 7 g carbohydrates, 1 g fat, 81 mg cholesterol, trace saturated fat, 195 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber

This misoyaki beef recipe is from former TV chef Jeff Smith's collection.

Beef Misoyaki

• 3 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup light miso
• 1 tablespoons shoyu
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 cup sake
• 1 1/2 pound thin-sliced beef (rib-eye roast or teriyaki-style pre-cut beef)

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat until a few pop and the rest turn golden brown. Grind seeds with a mortar and pestle or run through a food blender or spice grinder. Do not grind too fine. (Yes, you can buy ground sesame, but it's much nicer to toast them yourself, releasing the flavorful oils.)

In a bowl, combine sesame seeds, miso, shoyu, sugar and sake and stir to blend.

Spread half of the mixture on a platter and place the beef slices in a single layer on top of the marinade. Brush the remaining marinade on top.

Let stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the beef from the marinade, scrape off excess and reserve.

Pre-heat broiler, light a charcoal fire and allow to burn to white-ash stage, or heat a frying pan with 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil.

Broil, grill or fry meat. Scrape marinade into saucepan and gently heat; pass as sauce for beef, if desired.

Nutritional analysis not available.

• • •

Mix and match miso — use it in soups, salads and marinades

When cooking with miso, the trick is to use a little at a time, because its saltiness and paste-like consistency can easily overwhelm a dish. Soups can turn puckery salty. Vinaigrettes can turn to glue.

To blend miso into a hot liquid, place the miso in a container and ladle in about 1 cup of the liquid, stirring or whisking until combined. Slowly return the mixture to the pot and stir to combine.

Do not subject miso to heat above a bare simmer if you wish to preserve the live enzymatic activity.

There are as many miso soups as there are mothers in Japan. Most Japanese prefer whatever soup they grew up on, whether plain or with tofu, wakame (a type of prepared seaweed) and clams or slivered scallions.

A rule of thumb is: For every cup of liquid, add no more than 1 tablespoon of miso. For a more flavorful effect, use a darker miso. For less miso-like flavor, add a splash of soy sauce, sake or mirin.

Miso Soup

• 4 cups dashi (recipe follows)
• 3 to 4 tablespoons miso (preferably
• 2 tablespoons red and 2 tablespoons light miso)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons mirin, cooking sake or soy sauce (optional)

Variations:

Toasted sesame seeds, thinly sliced scallions, watercress, blanched sugar snap or snow peas, cubed tofu, seaweed or pretty much anything else you might want in soup.

In a pot over medium heat, heat the dashi but do not boil. Remove from the heat.

Place the miso in a bowl. Pour about 1/2 cup of dashi into the bowl and, using the back of a wooden spoon or a fork, mix until the miso is incorporated into the liquid. Pour this mixture back into the pot and stir to combine. Taste and, if desired, add mirin, sake or soy sauce to taste. Add any remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Serve immediately. (The miso causes the soup to become cloudy after it sits for a few moments. This is OK.)

Makes 4 servings.

This is a relatively mild dashi recipe from chef Koji Terano at Sushi-Ko in Washington, D.C.

Dashi

• 16 cups water
• 6-by-8-inch piece kombu (dried seaweed)
• 4 cups katsuo-boshi (dried, shaved bonito)

In a large pot, heat the water and kombu until it almost but not quite comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and, using tongs, remove the kombu. Add the bonito flakes and set aside, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. The bonito should sink to the bottom of the pot. Strain, several times if necessary, until the broth is clear. Then it is ready to use. (You may refrigerate the dashi, but it will lose its flavor after a day.)

Makes 16 cups.

The marinade results in a caramelized crust and a slightly salty, almost toffee flavor. The salt in the miso cuts the sweetness and begins to cure the fish, effectively firming the texture.

In the following low-calorie, versatile vinaigrette, miso replaces both oil and salt. Drizzle it over tender young lettuces, steamed asparagus or a salad of cooked chicken on sliced avocado. It's from from Nigella Lawson's "How to Eat" (John Wiley & Sons, 2002).

Citrus-Miso Vinaigrette

• 1 teaspoon light or yellow miso
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon coarse-grain mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon honey, or to taste
• Juice from 1 orange (about 4 tablespoons)

In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients.

Makes 1 serving.

Per serving: 53 calories, 1 g protein, 12 g carbohydrates, trace of fat, no cholesterol, 249 mg sodium, trace dietary fiber.

Miso lends a barely perceptible but tangible savor to this robust and bitter warm salad dressing. The dressing has a more substantial flavor and texture than a vinaigrette and can stand up to hearty greens.

It's adapted from "The Bold Vegetarian Chef" by Ken Charney (Wiley & Sons, 2003).

Wilted Greens with Miso-Tamarind Sauce

• Several handfuls of baby spinach, watercress or mizuna leaves or 1 head hearty bitter greens, such as radicchio or endive, cleaned and very coarsely chopped
• 1 firm but not hard pear, preferably Bosc
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon red or barley miso
• 1 teaspoon tamarind paste or concentrate *
• 1 clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 1/4 cup water or vegetable stock

Rinse the greens and, if necessary, coarsely chop the leaves. Place in a large bowl; set aside.

Cut the pear into quarters and remove and discard the stem and core. Cut each quarter lengthwise into 2 or 3 slices.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the pear slices and cook, stirring only occasionally, until browned on both sides, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off any oil or juices in the skillet.

In a medium bowl, combine the maple syrup, miso, tamarind, garlic, ginger and water or stock and whisk until smooth. Pour it into the skillet and bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until the dressing begins to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes.

Immediately pour the hot dressing over the greens and toss gently until they are well coated and slightly wilted. Working quickly, divide the greens among individual plates and top each salad with a few pear slices. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 to 4 servings

Per serving (based on 4): 104 calories, 1 g protein, 10 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, no cholesterol, 1 g saturated fat, 124 mg sodium, 2 dietary fiber.

Note: Tamarind paste is the sweet-tart fruit concentrate of the tamarind pod, sold in bricks of compressed paste. Do not substitute tamarind juice.