Miso

Miso is a salty paste made from fermented soya and literally means ‘fermented beans’ in Japanese. There are many different types of miso – such as white, yellow and red – with the colour and taste depending on the fermentation time. Miso can also be made using other ingredients such as barley, millet or brown rice.

It is very popular in Asian cooking due to its ‘umami’ flavour and is best known as the basis for Japan’s miso soup.