No traditional Japanese table setting would be complete without it: Miso Soup. Its origin is said to date back to the Kamakura Period. Miso is a staple Japanese ingredient regarded with pride as a fermented food. Created by fermenting protein-dense soybeans, miso contains all of the amino acids necessary in the human diet, as well as a wellspring of minerals. Not to mention, eating miso provides beauty and health benefits akin to that of yogurt and other foods containing enzymes.
My personal favorite miso soup features grated daikon radish and nameko mushrooms. The base combines fresh white miso with mildly spicy red miso, paired with the coarsely grated daikon and nameko to create an enticing aroma. As you partake in the soup, the contrasting textures of the daikon and nameko will delight your tongue as the warm soup slides down to comfort your stomach, all the while surrounding you in a savory aroma. This miso is pure bliss in a bowl.
The varieties of miso soup, and the types of miso-bases and ingredients you can use are endless. Additionally, there are numerous regional ways of enjoying the soup across Japan. While tofu, seaweed, and green onion are said to be the current top-three most popular miso soup ingredients, people of the Edo Period were known for preparing “Natto Soup.” Natto soup is made by adding lightly ground natto (fermented soybeans), komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach), and tofu into the miso-broth base. Actually, tofu, natto, and miso are all made from soybeans. Since meat consumption was prohibited in the Edo Period, many people would turn to natto soup to cleverly get enough protein in their diets as an alternative to eating expensive fish.
As if miso was not already spectacular enough, modern medical research points to miso’s ability to improve atopy symptoms (the genetic tendency to develop allergic diseases), prevent cancer, and promote healthy skin. It is less than half the calories of a potage or stew and has low sodium content. Miso soup is an indispensable part of Washoku food culture’s concept of “Ichiju Sansai,” meaning “one soup three dishes.” I hope you will enjoy miso soup in all of its many delicious hues.
Source: Tokyo College of Sushi and Washoku -- The College Headmaster's One-Dish Course Series