On January 9th, the first special session of the new year 2022, "All about Miso," was held in Shibuya Scramble Square! At We Languages, you can try some special, cultural-themed lessons! Our coaches will always share with you their unique knowledge of Japanese culture. This session is just one of them!
In our We Special Lesson...
In this cultural lesson, our students had the chance to learn all about Miso! Its history, what is made from, how it’s made, its regional variations, and much more. And, of course, even to taste it! But here comes the good part. Our expert coach taught the students how to create Miso soup balls! That’s a healthy, high-nutrition snack made by yourself.
Why You Should Learn The Japanese Language At We
We want to include more We Uniqueness in our content! For example, the "Miso session" from the other day. Miso is, of course, famous as a Japanese food in general. But the reason why we did this course is to learn Japanese from our culture with Miso. Each area in Japan uses a different type of Miso and has a different menu. Same as we have different dialects in each area!
In addition, our partnership with Hiragana Times will only make your Japanese language learning process much more easier and interesting!
Check the rest of the article to discover what's this famous ingredient, where is it used, and how to learn all of this in our special session!
What is "味噌" Miso?
With the term “Miso” Japanese refers to a fermented soybean paste, mixed with rice, barley, and seaweed, typically salty. It’s a traditional ingredient in Japanese cuisine. It can flavor all kinds of food, especially fish and vegetables. Moreover, its use goes back at least to the Nara period (710-794), making it an essential ingredient!
Where Is Miso Used?
As you may know, the most famous Miso related food is the “Miso soup”, in Japanese 味噌汁 (みそしる - Miso shiru). It’s the little bowl that goes with everything in every meal, from breakfast to dinner.
Moreover, this ingredient is very important to add flavor to the ramen broth, sometimes together with butter. To know more about ramen types, check this article!
Besides Miso soup and ramen broth, this ingredient is the base for vegetarian soups and stews, marinades, salad dressings, stir-fries, and much more. Almost essential in Japanese cuisine!
Different Kinds of Miso
The taste and appearance of this paste change according to the region and season. And also, the color! Here are the most common categories of Miso:
- 白味噌 (Shiro miso), the "white miso." The percentage of rice in its fermentation process it's higher, making it more sweet.
- 赤味噌 (Aka miso) the "red miso". It has more barley in it, making its color from red to dark brown. The most popular Aka miso is the one from Sendai, in the Tohoku region. During the feudal era, it was considered the best war food because rich in minerals.
- 黒みそ (Kuro miso), the "black miso." It has the strongest flavor.
