Hatcho Clearspring Unpausterized Miso, 300g

Ingredients: Organic Whole Soybeans* (65%), Water, Sea Salt, Roasted Barley Flour*. *Organically Grown

What is Miso?

Miso is a traditional fermented Japanese staple food and condiment made from different types of grains, but primarily soybeans and a unique koji fermentation culture. Over the 18 years that Clearspring founder Christopher Dawson lived in Japan, he became an expert on the quality of miso, and the Clearspring range is his selection of the finest traditionally made Japanese miso. All traditionally fermented Japanese miso is made by cooking the finest organically grown ingredients (whole soybeans and cereal grains) and combining them with a koji culture (grains or soybeans inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae mould spores), sea salt and water. Then aged naturally in cedarwood barrels for many months at room temperature, the enzymes in the koji, together with naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria, gradually break down the complex grains and beans into easily digestible amino acids, fatty acids and simple sugars. The resulting miso has rich, complex flavours and an abundance of umami, the fifth taste.

Should miso be cooked?

Unpasteurized miso contains a high amount of live enzymes that can be destroyed by prolonged cooking. However, the nutritional properties, as well as the flavor, of miso are not altered by cooking, and some recipes suggest cooking miso to develop the flavor of other ingredients in the dish. To maximize the enzymatic benefits of miso, choose an unpasteurized variety (or freeze-dried miso soup) and select recipes where miso is added toward the end of cooking.

What kind of dishes can it be used on?

Miso can be used in place of salt to season dishes such as soups and stews. It pairs well with ingredients such as ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, tahini, and citrus zest and juice.