Miso—Making It Up As We Go Along

By Kelly Kingsland, Deli Manager, from the December 2000 Newsletter

I have long felt lucky to be a cook in this day and age. We are able to pull our ingredients and ideas from a wide base of regions, ethnicities and traditions.

True, we have been accused here in the Deli of not making "authentic" regional food, but I believe that we are lucky not to be limited by culture or tradition, as a result we get to play more without being limited by the "right" way of doing things.

These thoughts came to mind recently when we were asked for a Miso Gravy recipe. I do make Miso Gravy at home, but I hesitated to write down the recipe in fear of judgment over "wrong" usage. You see, my Miso Gravy is a mix of traditional gravy with miso replacing the meat seasonings. It tastes great, and my kid loves it, but I worry that a traditionalist would condemn the combination of milk and miso.

As one thought always seems to lead to another, I started thinking about miso itself. I have long known that miso contained healthy active cultures that are good for digestion. With great results, I often use miso broth as an antidote to having eaten too much sugar. But a little research revealed miso to be a pretty amazing food.

For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, miso is a fermented soybean and/or grain paste honored as a healing food in China and Japan for centuries. Modern research reveals miso as a good source of protein and B vitamins as well as beneficial enzymes. In addition, miso helps cleanse radiation and nicotine from the body.

According to Elson M. Haas MD, in his book Staying Healthy With the Seasons, "Miso is an alkalizing food and its fermentation assists the body's digestion and metabolism." He goes on to say that "for those who wish to strengthen their systems, miso can be used daily as a broth and is said to be a good tonic…It is a great afternoon drink for those who suffer from late afternoon or post-work symptoms like headache, dizziness, irritability or general low energy."

Ironically, in all my research I found no condemnation of mixing miso with milk or any other more Western ingredients. And so I decided to go ahead and share a few recipes and cooking tips. As a disclaimer, I'll just say that these pointers are not definitive, only things I have found to make sense when cooking with miso.

One very important point to keep in mind when cooking with miso is to never boil it. Boiling creates a bitter flavor, and kills many of the beneficial enzymes and cultures. I like to add miso to soup after I've taken the soup from the burner. Another important fact about miso is that its condensed form is very salty, so use sparingly and add small amounts at a time to taste.

I make Miso Gravy by melting a tablespoon or so of butter in a pan, making a roux by adding another tablespoon or so of flour, mixing and toasting for a minute before adding 1 ½ c milk and heating until nearly boiling and thickened. Remove from stove and let cool slightly before adding a dash of Tamari and maybe 2 Tbsp of a dark miso. I pour this over mashed potatoes, brown rice or steamed greens for a pretty great meal.

To make miso soup, I lightly sauté a small quantity of onions, leeks or scallions, garlic, carrots, beets, and any other root veggies, in sesame, peanut, or canola oil. Add water to cover veggies and heat till just under boiling. Add a variety of fresh greens such as chard, kale, spinach, mustard or bok choy, and stir together briefly. Remove soup from heat and add a dash of tamari and Miso to taste. Generally, it works best to whisk the miso with some water before adding it to the soup. Other options are adding sea veggies, cayenne, whole cooked grains, or tofu.

Probably my favorite way of eating miso though is plain broth. This may in part be a result of my environment, as I usually take some to the woods with me when I'm backpacking and drink it in the morning before hiking, and in the evening while I cook dinner.

Buying miso at the Co-op is easy. Vicki stocks several different varieties and brands. In general, the darker misos tend to be saltier, while the lighter ones are sweeter. Unpasturized are healthier as the enzymes and cultures are destroyed by the heating process of pasteurization. If you don't already cook with miso I encourage you to start. Don't be thwarted by any fear of doing it right. While it has 1000-year-old traditions, its presence in our culture and benefits to our bodies speak for itself.

Related Article: Review of Misos carried by the Moscow Food Co-op

Copyright: Copyright on articles, images and recipes are jointly held by the Moscow Food Co-op and the respective authors, except were otherwise noted.

Return to Recipe List

For additions or corrections to this page, please contact the Webmaster.