Miso soup

Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup made from a dashi stock in which miso is dissolved. It is one of the two basic soup types of Japanese cuisine, alongside suimono, and is usually served with rice as part of everyday meals.

History

Miso soup is an old dish, although it became widely popular from the Muromachi period (1392-1573). Since then it has been enjoyed by ordinary people and by the nobility alike, and its preparation has changed over time and from one region to another.

The name varies by region. Around Tokyo it is known as omi otsuke, meaning 'miso juice', a term dating from the Edo period, while in the Kansai region it is called otsutsu or otsu. Outside Japan it is known as miso soup or miso shiru in English-speaking countries, and its international spread has produced versions made with Western vegetable or chicken stocks, although some specialists debate whether such variants deserve the name.

The traditional preparation rests on two essential ingredients: dashi, which forms the base, and miso, which is dissolved into it. The type of miso shapes the result. Shiro-miso, white, is mild and lightly salted, while aka-miso, red, is stronger and saltier. According to the sources, more than 80% of Japan's annual miso output goes into this soup.

Culture

In everyday Japanese life, miso soup is a basic accompaniment served at breakfast, lunch and dinner, almost always with white rice and one or two other dishes. It is never presented as a single dish. In winter it may even accompany cold dishes such as sushi, and it has traditionally been taken as a restorative during colds.

The way it is served is also part of its identity. It comes in small lacquered bowls, sometimes with lids to keep in heat and aroma, and is drunk directly from the bowl, while the solid ingredients are eaten with chopsticks.

Regional variations are numerous. Common ingredients include cubed tofu, wakame seaweed and negi onion, along with vegetables such as potato, carrot or daikon, and meat, fish or mushrooms. In Yamagata Prefecture, for instance, a version made with chrysanthemum miso is common in autumn. When pork is added it is called tonjiru, a soup usually eaten at lunch or dinner rather than breakfast.

Trivia