--- title: "Miso: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates" description: "Miso is a salty, savory Japanese paste of fermented soybeans and koji. Learn the types, how to make miso soup and why you should never boil it." url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/miso" --- # Miso Miso is a salty, savory Japanese paste of fermented soybeans and koji. Learn the types, how to make miso soup and why you should never boil it. Also called Miso paste, White miso, Red miso, Shiro miso. Miso is a thick paste made by fermenting soybeans with salt and _koji_, a mold grown on rice or barley. The [fermentation](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/fermentation) can last from a few weeks to several years. It tastes salty and deeply savory, and it is one of the main seasonings in Japanese cooking. ## How to use it * **Miso soup.** Heat [dashi](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/dashi), add tofu, seaweed or vegetables, then take the pan off the heat. Put about 1 tablespoon of miso per 250 ml (1 cup) of stock in a ladle, lower it into the soup and whisk until smooth. Serve right away. * **Glazes.** Mix white miso with mirin and a little sugar. Spread it on fish, eggplant (aubergine in the UK) or tofu and broil (grill in the UK) until it bubbles and browns. * **Dressings and sauces.** Whisk it with rice vinegar, oil and sesame for salads. * **Western cooking.** Stir a teaspoon into gravy, butter for corn or bread, caramel, or a long-cooked stew. It adds [umami](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/umami) without tasting Japanese. ## Substitutes Use another kind of miso first. If you have none, soy sauce gives salt and savoriness, though it is thinner. Use about half as much. Tahini with a pinch of salt can copy the creaminess but not the depth. ## How to store it Keep miso in the fridge in a sealed tub. Its salt keeps it for many months to a year. Press plastic wrap onto the surface to stop it darkening. Darker color on top is not spoilage. ## Common mistakes * **Boiling it.** Hard boiling dulls the aroma and makes it taste flat. Add miso at the end and keep it below a simmer. * **Dropping it in as a lump.** It will not dissolve. Mix it with a little hot liquid first. * **Using red miso where white is asked for.** Red is saltier and stronger, so use less. ## In recipes White miso (_shiro_) is fermented briefly, so it is pale, mild and sweet. Red miso (_aka_) is fermented longer and is salty and strong. Mixed miso (_awase_) sits in between and is the easiest all-rounder. Barley miso contains gluten, and all miso contains soy, which matters for a [soy allergy](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/soy-allergy). Korean [gochujang](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/gochujang) is related but adds chili. ## Recipes that use it 2 recipes from the sites we collect. * [![](https://pinchofyum.com/tachyon/Broccoli-Salad-Recipe.jpg?fit=225%2C225)Broccoli Salad with Creamy Almond Dressingpinchofyum.com · 15 min](https://pinchofyum.com/clean-broccoli-salad) * [![](https://pinchofyum.com/tachyon/Miso-and-Peanut-Chicken-Lettuce-Wraps-Recipe.jpg?fit=225%2C225)Creamy Miso Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wrapspinchofyum.com · 20 min](https://pinchofyum.com/creamy-peanut-chicken-lettuce-wraps) ## Related terms * [DashiDashi is the light Japanese stock made from kombu and bonito flakes. It is the base of miso soup and many sauces, and takes under 30 minutes to make.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/dashi) * [UmamiUmami is the savory, meaty taste found in Parmesan, soy sauce, tomatoes, mushrooms and broth. It is one of the five basic tastes.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/umami) * [FermentationFermentation is when yeasts or bacteria break down sugars and change food. It raises bread, sours sauerkraut and yogurt, and makes wine and miso.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/fermentation) * [KombuKombu is dried kelp, the seaweed behind Japanese dashi. It adds savory depth to stocks, beans and rice. How to soak it, cook it and swap it.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/kombu) * [Soy allergyA soy allergy is a reaction to proteins in soybeans. Soy turns up in soy sauce, tofu, miso and many processed foods, and is labeled in the EU and US.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/soy-allergy) * [GochujangGochujang is a thick Korean paste of chili, rice and fermented soybeans. It is sweet, spicy and savory, and it seasons stews, marinades and sauces.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/gochujang) [More in pantry ingredients](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/pantry-ingredients)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)