Guide to Miso Paste: Explore Different Types of Miso Paste

Miso is a fermented soybean paste from Japan that is a common seasoning throughout Asian cuisine. Miso soup may be its most familiar application, but it makes an appearance in everything from salad dressings to pickles and marinades. It’s even one of the crucial components of soy sauce. The history of miso traces back to its ancient Chinese counterpart, soybean jiang.

Miso has a strong umami flavor—the thick paste is deeply savory, with toasty, funky salty-sweet richness. This umami flavor forms the base of much of everyday Japanese cooking.

Miso paste is made through a two-step fermentation process. First, miso makers combine a grain—typically rice or barley, but sometimes soybeans—with a mold called Aspergillus oryzae to create koji. They then mix the koji with cooked soybeans, water, and additional salt and allow the blend to further ferment for up to 18 months, unleashing the effects of yeast and lactic acid. The resulting paste is then ready to use.

In the United States, varieties of miso paste are typically categorized by color, while in Japan they're more often categorized by ingredients and flavor. The various types of miso all have different fermentation times, ingredients, and seasonings.

1. 1. White miso: Also called shiro miso, white miso originated from Kyoto and is the most commonly produced type of miso. Made with rice, barley, and soybeans, shiro miso has a mild, sweet taste.
2. 2. Red miso: Also called aka miso, red miso has a longer fermentation time than white miso, which gives it a deeper hue. As the color shifts to a rusty red (sometimes even black), the saltiness deepens and the flavors increase in intensity.
3. 3. Yellow miso: Also called shinshu miso, yellow miso contains less salt than red miso and has a more acidic taste. Yellow miso ranges from a light yellow to a light brown.
4. 4. Awase miso: Also called mixed miso, awase miso is a combination of red and white miso pastes. Awase miso is one of the most versatile varieties of miso paste since it mixes the mild sweetness of white miso with the richness of red miso.
5. 5. Kome miso: This white rice miso paste is one of the most widely available, and it can be found in different colors (white, yellow, and red). Types of Kome miso vary in strength and sweetness, with nuances as particular as whether the soybeans in the paste have been boiled or steamed. Most misos in United States grocery stores are kome misos. In Japan, kome miso is especially prevalent in the Kinki region, Hokuriku regions, and the eastern part of the country.
6. 6. Mugi miso: Also called barley miso, mugi miso is made from barley malt and soybeans. In Japan, mugi miso produced in Kyushu is a white variety while mugi miso produced in the Kanto region is a reddish-brown or dark brown color. Mugi miso tastes sweet and has a distinct malty funk.
7. 7. Mame miso: This pure soybean miso is reddish-brown and made without any grains. It has a rich, pungent flavor and may be aged up to three years. One of Japan’s most popular misos is hatcho miso, a variety of mame miso that's a speciality in the city of Okazaki.
8. 8. Genmai miso: Also called “brown rice miso,” genmai miso is a red miso variety with a distinct nutty flavor.

Traditionally, miso is either dissolved directly into a broth (as seen in miso soup recipes and some kinds of ramen), or used as a spread, dip, or glaze. Mix this Japanese ingredient with sake and mirin to make a marinade for fish—the nutty flavors in the miso and the sugars in the marinade caramelize nicely in the broiler. Or, add a teaspoon of miso to your next salad dressing—mix it with little freshly ground ginger paste, two tablespoons of sesame oil, and a tablespoon of rice vinegar. Since miso is a fermented food, it will keep in the refrigerator for around a year.

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