Miso soup is indeed indispensable to the Japanese diet. Whether eaten as a quick breakfast or as an accompaniment to a complete meal, Japanese people make and consume miso soup practically everyday. Miso soup is said to have first appeared during the Muromachi Period (mid 14th c. - mid 16th c.). It was originally served at farmers’ dinner tables as typical country style cooking. The broth was made from dried bonito or dried seaweed, and then miso paste was gradually mixed in. The broth is the basis for miso soup and is an important element in bringing forth its soothing taste. The ingredients that are added to the soup and the look of the miso paste itself vary depending on the region or household. Sayings such as “so many men, so many minds” definitely hold true for miso soup. This quintessential Japanese dish truly can be made a thousand different ways.

Let us have a closer look at miso paste itself. There are a wide variety of miso pastes available, but they can be divided into three basic types: Miso pastes are made with rice malt, wheat malt, or bean malt. Each type of miso paste can be made into either red miso or white miso. Certain pastes become red miso when the ingredients are aged more than a year. The longer aging period results in a reddish brown color, and the resultant miso normally tastes saltier and richer than its white counterpart. White miso, on the other hand, is ready for consumption after being aged for just a few months. The color is actually a light brown and it tastes somewhat sweet due to the flavors of malt. Another characteristic of white miso is that you can sometimes spot wheat or other grain in the paste. In addition to the basic types, there are also “mixed miso pastes.” Diversity in miso paste is not so much about people enjoying many different varieties. The variety occurs because different regions traditionally used different kinds of miso paste. Households in the Tokyo region, for instance, prefer red miso paste made with rice malt. People in the Nagoya area, on the other hand, tend to choose a miso paste made with bean malt. If you are married and your partner is from a different region, where people customary use a different type of miso paste, you may be in trouble. For it means that you may have to part from the taste of your mother’s home cooking.

The ingredients you choose to put in are also critical factors in the success of each bowl of miso soup. Tofu (soybean curd), seaweed, and green onions are used commonly all over Japan. Unlike the miso paste itself, which is generally determined by the region, what goes into the soup heavily depends on personal taste. People use shiitake mushrooms, eggs, bean sprouts, and eggplants, among many other things. Although you can pick anything you want, miso paste goes particularly well with seafood. It is truly a happy coincidence that one of the most traditional Japanese condiments goes so well with the bounty of the ocean that surrounds the country. Miso soup with clams, for example, is superb with just the right hint of ocean flavor. For your information, miso soup made with shellfish not only tastes great but also facilitates liver function, and even serves as a hangover cure. It is all advantages. Be creative and come up with all kinds of appealing ingredients for miso soup besides seafood. Make it with pork and various vegetables, which is very hearty and nutritious, or you can try to incorporate seasonal items such as matsutake mushrooms or turnips into your miso soup.

Nowadays, you can make fairly decent miso soup even using the instant kind. It is not exactly the same as homemade, but the unique flavor of instant miso soup has a deep-rooted popularity. All you have to do with the instant product is to squeeze the miso paste into a bowl, empty the packet of dried ingredients over it, and pour in some hot water. Numerous varieties, both in terms of types of miso and ingredients, are readily available at stores. Times have surely changed.

Even in America, miso soup is catching on. People here seem to enjoy the soup as an appetizer. With a basic Japanese style meal, the norm is “one soup and one dish.” It means that the meal is complete with rice, one dish, and miso soup. A formula for a little fancier meal is “one soup and three dishes.” Whichever guideline you follow, miso soup never sits on the bench during a traditional Japanese meal. You can have the soup to top off a dining experience, or enjoy it before, during or after the meal. You can also enjoy it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It has a calming and soothing effect because it brings the taste of home back to you, no matter where you are. Miso soup is unlike any other dish in this regard. If you ever think to yourself, “Ahh, miso soup is the best!” as you take a sip of the hot liquid and burn your tongue, you must be either: Japanese or (just maybe) have been Japanese in a former life.