- Family
- 味噌
Miso
Soybeans, salt and time.
Miso is a fermented paste of soybeans, salt and koji, the mold culture Aspergillus oryzae grown on rice, barley or soybeans. The enzymes in the koji break down protein and starch into amino acids and sugars, and those free amino acids are what give miso its powerful umami. The color runs from nearly white to dark reddish brown depending on the recipe and how long the paste has aged.
Sensory analysis
Pyramid and character
Aroma
from the tub
- fermented soybean
- bread dough
- nuttiness
Taste
on the tongue
- saltiness
- umami
- roundness
Finish
what lingers
- hearty
- long
- lightly tangy
Background
Facts
- Processing
- boiled or steamed soybeans are mixed with koji and salt and left to ferment in a cool place
- Time
- from a few weeks for a light miso to a couple of years for a dark one
- Grain in the koji
- rice (kome), barley (mugi) or soybeans (mame); the choice steers sweetness and strength
- Color
- lighter miso is younger and sweeter, darker miso is aged and saltier
- Kinship
- the same koji is behind soy sauce, sake and rice vinegar
Members of the family
Varieties in the family
Sort by
Aka-misoAged, salty and almost meaty.powerful umami 85%Umamifermented depth 85%Fermentsaltiness 80%Salinitytangy edge 50%Acidity
Awase-misoThe everyday household miso.umami 70%Umamibalanced saltiness 55%Salinityfermentation tone 55%Fermentround sweetness 50%Sweetness
Genmai-misoBrown rice miso, nutty and down to earth.umami 65%Umaminuttiness 60%Roastfermentation tone 60%Fermentround sweetness 55%Sweetness
Hatcho-misoOnly soybeans, two years and three tons of stone.dense umami 95%Umamifermented depth 95%Fermentdry saltiness 70%Salinitytangy edge 65%Acidity
Mugi-misoBarley's miso: bready, sweet and rustic.sweetness 65%Sweetnessumami 60%Umamibready fermentation 55%Fermentgrainy texture 55%Texture
Shiro-misoThe young, sweet miso to start with.sweetness 75%Sweetnesssmooth umami 55%Umamimild saltiness 40%Salinityrice character 35%Texture
Evidence
Sources
- Nekko Journal: Miso, guiden till japansk misopasta (retrieved 2026-08-08)
- Miso (Wikipedia) (retrieved 2026-08-08)