Miso Soup

Japanese miso ( みそ ) is a traditional Japanese food produced by fermenting rice, barley, and or soybeans with salt and the fungus kojikin. Miso is extremely healthy as it contains protein, calcium, iron, and potassium. Miso is a part of many Japanese-style meals. It most commonly appears as the main ingredient of miso soup, which is eaten daily by much of the Japanese population. The pairing of plain rice and miso soup is considered a fundamental unit of Japanese Cuisine. This pairing is the basis of a traditional Japanese breakfast. Surprisingly, miso is also used to make cookies, candies, and stir fries.

The taste of miso varies depending upon: what it is made from, how long it has been fermented, and how much kojikin has been added. However; there are 4 main flavor catagories:

Shiromiso -“white miso” The white colour is obtained by using a lot of rice koji (about 60%) and fewer soybeans. Of all miso varieties, the white miso contains the most carbohydrates and therefore tastes the sweetest. It’s texture is very smooth. It ferments quickly, only a few days are required.
Akamiso— “red miso” Red miso is made from white rice, barley or soybeans by a natural fermentation, which takes about one to three years. The colour of red miso is red to brownish. Red miso contains the highest levels of protein of all types of miso.
Kuromiso—”black miso” Barley miso is made from barley grains, soybeans and barley koji. Barley miso has a very dark colour and quite salty but very rich taste.
Hatchomiso— A special type of soybean miso is Hatcho miso. The koji for Hatcho miso contains a special mold: Aspergillus hatcho instead of the usual Aspergillus oryzae. Hatcho miso should be aged for at least 16 months. Hatcho miso is considered the miso of Emperors. Hatcho miso is reddish-brown, somewhat chunky, and often used to flavor hearty soups.

Shiromiso is used in central Japan , Akamiso is used in the South, and Kuromiso is used in the North. Hatchomiso is a specialty only found in the Kansai area where I served my mission. Unfortunately I have been unable to find it here in UT so I am using shiromiso commonly found in Kansai.

Since miso is a personal preference, I prefer to give you the method and the basic ratios. Adjust to your liking.

Miso Method
Make the dashi broth
Put water in a pot and place on medium heat. Just before the water boils, add dried bonito flakes. Once the water boils you will need to skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Turn the heat off and wait until the bonito flakes sink. Strain the stock by placing a paper towel in the colander that is nestled over a bowl. Push down on the flakes with a ladle to extract all of the broth.

Cook vegetables
Here you will add any diced vegetables you like. It is common in Japan to put in daikon.

Add cubed tofu. Cut firm tofu into small cubes and add them to the soup. Simmer the tofu for a few minutes on low heat. Scoop out some soup stock from the pan and place in a bowl. Add miso paste and mix until combined. Gradually return the miso mixture to the soup. Stir the soup gently. Remove from the heat and add chopped green onion, wakame, and enoki mushrooms. (Miso should never be cooked)

Ratios
1 package of dried bonito flakes per 1 cup of water.
1 inch of grated daikon per 2 cups of soup
1/3 standard package of tofu per 2 cups of broth
1 Tbsp. miso paste per 1 cup of broth
1 inch sliced green onion per cup of broth