Miso

The Japanese word for soybean paste is miso. It is thought to have originated at least two and a half thousand years ago in China, where it is called jiàng. Like soy sauce, miso is an offshoot from the practice of adding soybeans to fermenting fish and has evolved over time into a foodstuff in its own right. It is also possible that the forerunner of miso was not connected only with the fermentation of fish but also with that of shellfish and game.

Miso is produced from fermented soybeans together with different types of cereal grains. The process by which it is made is related to that used to brew shōyu. As a broad generalization, one can say that miso is the solid paste that remains after the liquids have been drained away from the fermented soybeans. Here again, the fermentation medium kōji plays a central role.