Miso (Fermented Soybean Paste)

Miso is the soul of Japanese cuisine, with origins tracing back to Chinese fermented bean paste (jiang) that arrived in Japan around the 7th century. Buddhist monks played a central role in refining miso-making during the Kamakura period, as it provided essential protein in their meat-free shojin ryori diet. The Korean cousin, doenjang, shares the same ancient Chinese ancestor but diverged in technique — Korean doenjang uses meju (fermented soybean blocks) while Japanese miso relies on koji (Aspergillus oryzae) inoculated rice or barley. Each region of Japan developed its own style: Kyoto's delicate shiro miso, Nagoya's intense hatcho miso, Sendai's robust aka miso. In temple cuisine, miso soup is served at virtually every meal, providing warmth, nourishment, and the meditative simplicity that defines shojin cooking.