Miso
A Japanese paste of soybeans fermented with salt and koji, used for soup and seasoning.
Miso is made by mixing cooked soybeans with salt and koji, usually rice or barley on which a mould has been grown, and leaving it to ferment for months or years. Short ageing gives a pale, mild, slightly sweet miso. Long ageing gives a dark, salty, strong one. Stirred into dashi it makes miso soup, part of a traditional Japanese breakfast. It is also used in marinades, glazes and dressings. Korea and China have related soybean pastes.