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Arnold
Lara MMiso - Japanese flavours
March 12th 2008 06:38
During my extensive Asian foodie adventures, I found myself intrigued by Japanese cooking - the fact that a dish can look so simple yet intricate in its preparation still amazes me - in particular, the ingredients the Japanese use in their day to day cooking. Miso, which can be an acquired taste for some, is one such ingredient and it has become a fundamental flavouring in Japanese cooking since it was brought over from China during the Asuka Period (550 - 710).
Miso paste can be bought in Japanese grocery stores
Over the years, Miso has developed a unique tradition in Japan through its use in a variety of traditional dishes including miso soup and dengaku (charcoal-grilled tofu coated in miso). In more recent times, miso has also become known as both a preservative and a health food.
The iconic miso soup
Miso complements many foods from vegetables to fish as well as meat and even dairy. The nutritional benefits of miso include anti-aging vitamin E and daidzein and high-quality soy protein which speeds up digestion and restores internal balance. Miso is also thought to prevent cancer and liver malfunction (hence the long life expectancy in the land of the rising sun) as well as...wait for it..being a good hangover cure!
Tofu Dengaku
Miso is created by adding salt and yeast to steamed soybeans and letting it ferment and ripen. Varying the salt content and duration of the ripening process creates different types of either white or red miso while rice, barley and bean miso varieties are made depending on the yeast used.
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