Veggie Fact of the Day

The different varieties of Miso

A slow fermented soybean paste, often mixed with brown rice and/or barley, Miso is indispensable to Japanese cuisine. The flavor is savory and sharp. The paste is mixed with sea salt and the fungus Aspergillus oryzae which is responsible for the fermentation process. The Japanese have been making and using miso for over 1 thousand years and they believe firmly in its therapeutic and gastronomic values. Miso is rich in vitamins, proteins and several minerals such as zinc, phosphorus, manganese and copper. There are 3 kinds of Miso that are commonly available in grocery stores – White, Yellow and Red, with the intensity of the flavor increasing with the depth of the color.