Proper miso soup

Misoshiru is one of the staples of Japanese cuisine. Whether you are eating the simplest fare or the finest of feasts, you will find a little pot of hot miso soup for sipping. Meaty and brothy, it’s brimming with that all-important umami taste, which has been labelled as the fifth taste in the West (where pungent and astringent have not yet been recognised). Most of us could be forgiven for thinking that miso soup is simply miso paste and water mixed with a bit of tofu and spring onion but