Читать книгу YO Sushi: The Japanese Cookbook - Kimiko Barber - Страница 10

Alongside soy sauce, miso is one of the most important seasonings in Japanese cooking and, like soy sauce, is made from fermented soybeans. It is an exceptionally healthy food, packed with vitamin E and minerals. During fermentation its soy protein is converted into an easily digestible form of amino acids. Miso lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, and is said to help ward off cancer.

Miso is available in different colours and textures, ranging from pale cream, called ‘white’, through to a light peanut butter and milk chocolate colour to a steely dark brown. The texture of different misos can also vary, from a soft cream cheese consistency to grainy, then dry and hard. In general, the darker the colour the harder and saltier the miso. A good all-purpose miso to use is a medium-brown, milk chocolate-coloured paste with a texture similar to cream cheese. You will probably find that you choose the most popular variety of rice miso, which is fermented by adding rice to cooked soybean mash. Others, however, are made from wheat, barley or soybeans alone.

Sold in plastic packaging or containers, miso is best transferred to an airtight container once opened. It will keep well for up to six months stored in the refrigerator.