It was my Japanese friend who told me how to prepare a miso soup back in college. At first, I was looking on how he prepared the soup, but later on I found out that I can actually do it. According to him, miso which is manufactured from soybeans, grain, and a fermenting agent, is another Japanese contribution in the world. This savory and nutritious soy food is very rich in protein, something which is very critical in the Eastern part of Asia. It is the best base for sauces, soups, dressings, and toppings; and serves as medium for making pickles. Also, he told me that almost every place in Japan has its own miso variety, therefore there are lots of choices. Among the main choices include the two most prevalent and readily available red and white miso. The second variety with a deep dark red to an almost ebony brown color has a rich aroma and earthy taste. On the other hand, the white variety with a yellowish brown color as well as a lite in color has a sweet taste.

According to him, the different ingredients in cooking a miso soup recipe were 3 cups of dashi and 1/4 cup miso, 1 teaspoon of finely chopped wakame seaweed, 1 slice of finely diced into cubes tofu, and 2 teaspoons of very finely chopped green onions. To start, you have to put the dashi in a small pot and boil. Then, place the miso into a small hand held sieve, dip it into the dashi in order to moisten and stir and push the miso through the sieve with the use of a spoon. Make sure to continue dipping and stirring until the miso is dissolved and then add the tofu and allow to simmer. Finally, serve the miso soup into a bowl and put the chopped onions.

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t (c) exploring japan