- Miso type
- 赤味噌
Aka-miso
Aged, salty and almost meaty.
Flavor profile
The strengths are editorial judgments on a scale within the family, not measurements. They can be compared across the miso varieties, not directly against another family.
Aka means red, but the range runs from reddish brown to almost dark chocolate in color. It is an aged miso with more salt, a higher share of soybeans and a longer maturation, sometimes up to a couple of years. The flavor is powerful, salty and deeply umami with an almost meaty tone, and it quickly takes over a dish if you dose it like a light miso.
Sensory analysis
Pyramid and character
Aroma
from the tub
- dark soy
- licorice
- fermented depth
Taste
on the tongue
- saltiness
- powerful umami
- meatiness
Finish
what lingers
- long
- dry
- tangy edge
Character 0-100 per axis, set relative to the other entries in the same family. An editorial judgment of a typical serving, not measurements.
Background
Facts
- Koji
- a lower share of rice koji and a higher share of soybeans than in shiro
- Fermentation
- long, from several months up to a couple of years
- Salt
- high, often around 11 to 13 percent
- Color
- reddish brown to dark chocolate, darkening with time
- Pairs with
- robust soups, stews, marinades for red meat, glazes that need to stand up to the oven
In the kitchen
Use
- Amount
- start with about half of what you would use of a shiro and taste your way forward
- Method
- dissolve in warm broth and stir in last
- Note
- never boil the miso; high heat turns the strength of a dark miso flat and scorched
Keep exploring
Related in the Zukan
- MisoFamily
- Shiro-misoMiso type
- Awase-misoMiso type
- Hatcho-misoMiso type
- KojiConcept
- UmamiConcept
Evidence
Sources
- Nekko Journal: Miso, guiden till japansk misopasta (retrieved 2026-08-08)
- Miso (Wikipedia) (retrieved 2026-08-08)