Miso Soup
Miso soup is a well established daily ritual in Japanese houses. For most families, Tokyo breakfast will consist of a bowl of the good stuff along with some fish, rice and pickles. Some people will eat 3 - 5 bowls per day as an accompanient to their main meals and as a warming drink.
Miso Soup Ingredients
It goes without saying that miso soup contains miso - we'll come to that in a minute. The other items that you include are largely up to you and your personal taste. A key component that is necessary, however, is dashi - Japanese fish stock. This can be made or you can buy it in granular form at local supermarkets. In the West, shops specializing in oriental food goods will usually carry a supply of dashi.
Items that are commonly found in miso soup are fresh and fried tofu, shitake mushrooms, green onion, and seaweed. You can have meat, seafood or vegetarian miso soup - it is entirely up to you.
Miso Paste
Miso paste is usually made from soybeans, salt and a yeast mold known in Japanese as 'koji'. Once mixed, the paste is allowed to age in cedar wood vats for a period of up to 3 years. The paste is also used to flavour other soups, marinades, stir frys and casseroles as well as miso soup itself. With a salty taste that is distinctive, miso brings a particular character and flavour to a range of dishes.
Miso paste comes in different colours according to the strength of the mixture. Shiro miso is the palest kind with the lowest salt content and is the best one to use in miso soup. Aka miso is a red paste and has a much saltier taste. It is good to use with heavier dishes such as casseroles and meat dishes.
When you're cooking the soup, begin with the fish stock and any vegetables that take longer to cook. Add the miso soup making sure that you blend it into the soup - and that's it. So simple to make and delicious to eat.
Benefits of Miso Soup
Besides being a tasty dish, miso soup has several proven health benefits according to nutritionists, although if you have to watch your sodium intake, remember that miso soup is high in salt. On the plus side, the soup provides the essential mineral zinc which boosts immunity and the wound healing power of the body. It is also said to reduce the chances of developing breast cancer and promotes longevity. The secret is thought to be the process of fermentation that the soybeans go through.
