Most Americans have been introduced to miso, the traditional Japanese fermented soybean paste, in the form of the ubiquitous soup, served as the first course in most Japanese restaurants.
In the United States, miso soup usually involves little more than soft tofu, seaweed and a scattering of scallions, but the flavor is savory and complex enough to compel the diner to slurp down every drop.
kAmxEVD E92E D2G@C:?6DD[ 4@>3:?65 H:E9 2 E@F49 @7 DH66E?6DD[ E92E >2<6D >:D@ A2DE6 DF49 2? 6DD6?E:2= :?8C65:6?E :? y2A2?6D6 4@@<:?8] ~G6C E96 J62CD[ E9@F89[ :EVD 7@F?5 :ED H2J :?E@ >2?J p>6C:42? <:E496?D] p?5 8:G6? E96 G6CD2E:=:EJ @7 >:D@ A2DE6[ :EVD ?@ H@?56C H9J]k^Am
kAm*@F 42? 7:?5 @?6 @C EH@ G2C:6E:6D @7 >:D@ A2DE6 :? >@DE 8C@46CJ DE@C6D[ @7E6? :? E96 AC@5F46 D64E:@?] %JA:42==J[ J@FV== 92G6 2 49@:46 36EH66? H9:E6 2?5 C65]k^Am
kAm#65 >:D@[ 2=D@ <?@H? 2D 2<2>:D@[ :D 2865 2 J62C @C >@C6[ H9:49 :D H96? :E 56G6=@AD :ED C655:D9\3C@H? 9F6] x? @C56C E@ C6A6= E96 8C@HE9 @7 325 >:4C@@C82?:D>D 5FC:?8 E96 =@?8 76C>6?E2E:@? AC@46DD[ C65 >:D@ :D >256 H:E9 2 9:896C AC@A@CE:@? @7 D2=E � 2?5 96?46 E2DE6D D2=E:6C � E92? >@DE @E96C G2C:6E:6D]k^Am
kAm(9:E6 >:D@ :D 2=D@ <?@H? 2D D9:C@ >:D@[ H9:49 :? y2A2?6D6 EC2?D=2E6D E@ QD@FA >:D@]Q xEVD 76C>6?E65 7@C 2 >F49 D9@CE6C A6C:@5[ D@>6E:>6D 2D =:EE=6 2D 2 H66<[ 2?5 :D >:=56C[ DH66E6C 2?5 =6DD D2=EJ E92? C65 >:D@]k^Am
kAm%96 FD6D 7@C >:D@ A2DE6 2C6 =:>:E=6DD] x? E9:D H66<VD C64:A6[ $966E !2? w@?6J\|:D@\v=2K65 w2=:3FE 2?5 pDA2C28FD[ xVG6 >:I65 :E H:E9 9@?6J[ 8:?86C[ 82C=:4 2?5 D@J D2F46 2?5 FD65 E9:D 9625J >:IEFC6 E@ >2C:?2E6 92=:3FE 7:==6ED 367@C6 C@2DE:?8 E96> :? 2 9@E @G6? H:E9 2DA2C28FD] xEVD 2? 62DJ 3FE :>AC6DD:G6 >62= E92EVD A6C764E 7@C 2 3FDJ H66<?:89E @C H96? J@F ?665 2 D@A9:DE:42E65 3FE DEC6DD\7C66 H66<6?5 >62=]k^Am
kAm~?46 J@F 3FJ 2 EF3 @7 >:D@ 2?5 FD6 :E @? E96 92=:3FE[ J@FV== 92G6 A=6?EJ =67E E@ 6IA6C:>6?E H:E9 :? J@FC 6G6CJ52J 4@@<:?8] |:I :E H:E9 3FEE6C 7@C 2 DA@@?\=:4<:?8 8@@5 4@>A@F?5 3FEE6C E@ >6=E @? DE62>:?8 62CD @7 4@C? @C 8C:==65 7:D9 @C 49:4<6?] r@>3:?6 :E H:E9 >2J@??2:D6 7@C 2 >:?5\36?5:?8 DAC625 7@C J@FC 72G@C:E6 D2?5H:49] xEVD 8@@5 DA@@?65 :?E@ 2 D@FA[ :?DE625 @7 2?@E96C A:?49 @7 D2=E[ :? E96 D62D@?:?8 AC@46DD] *@F 42? 6G6? 255 :E E@ 42C2>6= D2F46 7@C 2 D2E:D7J:?8 D2=EJ 4@F?E6CA2CE E@ 2== E92E DH66E?6DD]k^Am
kAmxEVD E:>6 E@ @A6? J@FC >:?5[ 962CE 2?5 DE@>249 E@ E9:D F>2>:\C:49 A2DE6] ~?46 J@FVG6 EC:65 :E[ J@FV== 7:?5 J@FCD6=7 C6249:?8 7@C :E H96?6G6C J@FVC6 :? E96 <:E496?]k^Am
k9C ^m
k9cm$966E !2? w@?6J\|:D@\v=2K65 w2=:3FE 2?5 pDA2C28FDk^9cm
kAm$6CG6D c]k^Am
kAm|:D@[ E96 EC25:E:@?2= y2A2?6D6 D@J362? A2DE6[ :D 2? 62DJ H2J E@ 255 =@25D @7 7=2G@C E@ 2 5:D9] x? E9:D @?6\A2? H@?56C @7 2 >62= :EVD A2:C65 H:E9 9@?6J 2?5 8:?86C[ H9:49 8:G6D E96 92=:3FE 2 56=:4:@FD=J C:49[ D2G@CJ\DH66E?6DD] uC@> |6C65:E9 s665D]k^Am
kAm� a E3DA] H9:E6 >:D@k^Am
kAm� ` E3DA] G686E23=6 @:=k^Am
kAm� ` E3DA] 8C2E65 8:?86C C@@Ek^Am
kAm� ` E3DA] F?D62D@?65 C:46 G:?682Ck^Am
kAm� ` E3DA] 9@?6Jk^Am
kAm� ` E3DA] D@J D2F46k^Am
kAm� c EDA] E@2DE65 D6D2>6 @:=[ 5:G:565k^Am
kAm� ` 4=@G6 82C=:4[ >:?465k^Am
kAm� c We\@K]X D<:?\@? 92=:3FE 7:==6ED[ 6249 2E =62DE ` E@ ` `^a :?] E9:4<k^Am
kAm� ` =3] 2DA2C28FD[ EC:>>65k^Am
kAm� $2=E 2?5 7C6D9=J 8C@F?5 3=24< A6AA6Ck^Am
kAm� ` E3DA] E@2DE65 D6D2>6 D665Dk^Am
kAm� a 8C66? @?:@?D[ E9:?=J D=:465k^Am
kAms:C64E:@?Dk^Am
kAmp5;FDE @G6? C24< E@ =@H6DE A@D:E:@? 2?5 AC6962E @G6? E@ cd_ 568C66D] {:?6 2 =2C86[ C:>>65 32<:?8 D966E H:E9 A2C49>6?E A2A6C]k^Am
kAmx? 2 D>2== 3@H=[ H9:D< E@86E96C >:D@[ G686E23=6 @:=[ 8:?86C[ C:46 G:?682C[ 9@?6J[ D@J D2F46[ ` E62DA@@? D6D2>6 @:= 2?5 82C=:4] !=246 E96 7:D9 7:==6ED :? 2 >65:F> 3@H=[ A@FC E96 >:D@ >:IEFC6 @G6C E96 E@A 2?5 86?E=J >2DD286 E96 >2C:?256 2== @G6C E96 7:D9] {6E >2C:?2E6 7@C 2E =62DE b_ >:?FE6D[ @C FA E@ b 9@FCD]k^Am
kAm!=246 2DA2C28FD @? 32<:?8 D966E] sC:KK=6 H:E9 C6>2:?:?8 b E62DA@@?D D6D2>6 @:= 2?5 D62D@? H:E9 `^a E62DA@@? D2=E 2?5 `^c E62DA@@? A6AA6C] pCC2?86 2DA2C28FD 2C@F?5 E96 D:56D @7 E96 A2?]k^Am
kAm!=246 92=:3FE[ D<:? D:56 5@H?[ :? E96 >:55=6 @7 E96 D966E A2?[ DA2465 6G6?=J] q2<6 F?E:= E96 2DA2C28FD :D E6?56C[ 23@FE g E@ `_ >:?FE6D] %C2?D76C 2DA2C28FD E@ 2 D6CG:?8 A=2EE6C] #6EFC? E96 D966E A2? E@ E96 @G6? 2?5 4@?E:?F6 E@ 32<6 F?E:= E96 46?E6CD @7 E96 7:==6ED C68:DE6C `b_ 568C66D[ c E@ g >:?FE6D =@?86C] %C2?D76C 92=:3FE E@ E96 D6CG:?8 A=2EE6C H:E9 2DA2C28FD 2?5 82C?:D9 H:E9 D6D2>6 D665D 2?5 8C66? @?:@?D]k^Am