[Maybe you'll want to teach me!?] Trivia about miso ~How to choose~
By the way, when was the last time you bought miso? Why did you choose that miso? And that miso, where is it stored now?
Hello, this is Yukimi from MISOVATION staff.
Now that I'm a mother of two, I cook a lot more for myself. I had it for a long time.
I was so busy with work that I had to eat out most of the time on weekdays, so the miso didn't decrease at all, and I kept it in the refrigerator for months. I'm sorry Miso...
Do you want to tell someone from now on? Here are some bits of knowledge that will make your life with miso even more fun. The first time is from "How to choose"!
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How to distinguish delicious miso
People have different tastes in miso depending on the region and the family they grew up in, so it is very difficult to decide unconditionally, “This miso is delicious!”
However, I would like to know the points that greatly increase the chances of meeting your favorite miso.
1. Check the raw materials The taste of miso changes depending on the raw materials. For example, “rice miso”, which is currently the most popular miso on the market, is characterized by the sweetness of the rice and comes in a wide variety. “Barley miso” is characterized by the fragrant flavor of barley and a light aftertaste. It may be easier to understand "mame miso" if you imagine Aichi's Haccho miso, but many of them have a strong and strong taste, and they are characterized by the fact that they do not lose their aroma even when used in stewed dishes.
2. Check the color The color of miso becomes darker as it matures. The longer this aging period is, the darker the flavor and color, and the more complex the taste becomes. On the other hand, miso, which has a short maturation period and is light in color, is suitable for those who prefer a light, refreshing taste. Also, as with all miso, it is recommended to choose miso that has an appetizing sheen and a clear color. Conversely, it may be better to avoid colors that are uneven or have a gray tint.
3. Check the scent It may be difficult to check the scent at the store, but if possible, please check if it smells like miso. Avoid miso that smells like soybeans, sour, or chemicals.
What the label tells you
The most obvious way to choose miso at a store is to check the display label. There are many characteristics of miso that can be read from the contents of the label that cannot be judged just by looking at it.
1. Displayed order of raw materials Displayed raw materials are arranged in descending order of the amount of ingredients. In the case of rice miso and barley miso, if the proportion of koji (rice koji, barley koji) is higher than that of soybeans, "rice" and "barley" are displayed as the first ingredients. In general, miso with a higher proportion of koji is sweeter, so check the display order of rice, barley, and soybeans according to your taste.
2. Food Additives Miso is a food that can be made without using additives, which is rare as a processed food. However, when selling at supermarkets, etc., it is highly likely that alcohol (fermented alcohol for brewing, ethyl alcohol) is used to keep the quality (taste, flavor, etc.) constant. This suppresses the activity of yeast, stops the fermentation of miso, and plays an important role in delivering miso to consumers as a product of uniform quality. If you want to value the flavor and the effect of yeast, it is recommended to choose miso that does not contain "alcohol".
By the way, when you find miso that has active yeast and continues to ferment, check if there are holes or valves in the package! In order to let the carbon dioxide gas generated during the fermentation process escape and prevent it from exploding, it has a hole through which air can pass.
3. What is "low salt" and "light salt"?
Combined with the low-salt boom, miso packages sometimes have labels such as "moderate salt" or "lightly salted." In fact, compared to the "Nutrition Labeling Standards" stipulated by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the standards for labeling "low salt content" and "lightly salted" according to the "Miso Fair Competition Code" are considerably stricter. . Only products with 15% or more sodium reduction compared to the product to be compared may be displayed. Many of the commercially available “low-salt” miso have a salt content of 11% or less.
How was it? If you have a little bit of knowledge about miso, which you usually choose casually, you might enjoy looking into the miso section of the store.
Also, we highly recommend visiting the miso shops directly managed by miso breweries, which are scattered throughout the region, although they are few in number! ! You can check the aroma and color carefully, and there are shops where you can choose while tasting, so please try choosing miso while learning various things from the staff.
MISOVATION's selection of miso
At MISOVATION, we collaborate with miso breweries all over Japan every month and use miso from small and medium-sized breweries that are not generally sold nationwide in supermarkets.
Many of these miso are brewed in the natural climate or made by traditional methods using wooden barrels, and have a very good taste and flavor. Since it is left as it is, it has the characteristic of being good for the body.
And another reason why MISOVATION sticks to the miso from the miso storehouse. It is a strong desire to "protect Japanese miso culture."
Due to changes in the Japanese diet, the consumption of miso has been declining year by year along with the consumption of rice.
It gives us a delicious taste that makes us feel relieved, and it is good for our bodies. We at MISOVATION are striving to develop delicious miso today as well, with the desire to let everyone know about miso, which has supported such Japanese food culture, and to incorporate it into our daily lives!
Next time, we will deliver "preservation and cooking". Look forward to it♪
References
・"Miso Encyclopedia" Atsumitsu Watanabe (Tokyodo Publishing Co., Ltd.)
・Changes in miso consumption and countermeasures en (jst.go.jp)