I don't think there are many Japanese people who don't like miso soup, and it is also popular overseas as it is known to be good for your health.

Among foreigners who try this miso soup for the first time, there are quite a few who say, "For some reason, it tastes nostalgic."
The reason for this is unclear, but among the fermented foods that have been used in every country since ancient times, miso has a history unique to Japan and has continued to evolve through its history.

Miso, one of Japan's most representative foods along with soy sauce, is a type of paste that has been used since ancient times. When did it first start to be used, how has it changed, and how has it been involved in Japanese history?

The origins of miso

As for the origin of miso, there is a theory that it originated in Japan, with evidence of grains being salted already discovered during the Jomon period (14,000 BC - 4th century BC), which suggests that primitive miso developed from soybeans that were salted when fermenting bacteria attached to them, but it is generally believed to have originated from the Chinese "hishio." This character, which is also the "jiang" in soy sauce, can also be read as "jan" in China, as in doubanjiang and tianmianjiang, but "hishio" refers to foods that have been salted and preserved, then fermented and matured to add umami.

The oldest confirmed instance of the character "sho" is the word "mishou" in the Taiho Code of 701. Mishou is a new seasoning created by Japan using a unique manufacturing method based on hishio, a condiment that was brought to Japan by Japanese envoys to the Tang Dynasty during the Asuka period, and it is said that the name miso is a paraphrase of mishou. The predecessor of miso, which was a very valuable commodity in those days, was said to have been eaten by nobles by licking it or dipping it in food, and there are records of sho and mishou being paid as taxes during the Nara period (710-794).

The birth of miso soup

Later, in the Kamakura period (from 1185), monks from China spread the use of mortars, and when they ground up miso, they found that it dissolved easily in water, and it came to be eaten as miso soup. Until then, miso was probably made from beans that were closer to their original shape.

With the advent of miso soup, the meal format of "one soup and three side dishes" was born. Even though miso was still a precious ingredient and was only available to samurai and other high-ranking people, this healthy and well-balanced "one soup and three side dishes" is said to be an ideal menu even in modern times.

During the Muromachi period (1336-1573), soybean production increased due to policies encouraging soybean cultivation, and as it became possible to produce koji mold stably, farmers even began to make their own unique miso. Miso itself was prized as a preserved food, but food that had previously been salted began to be preserved by pickling it in miso, or spread on food and baked it, or added sweetness, and it came to be used in a variety of cooking methods all over the country. It is said that many of the miso dishes that are still known today were invented during this period.

Unique development – beyond Japan

During the Sengoku period (15th-16th century), miso was indispensable as a preserved food and source of protein on the battlefield. It was also dried or roasted to make it easier to carry. Warlords would buy miso from different regions and have it made enthusiastically, and the miso in regions that had close ties with Sengoku warlords developed their own unique style to suit their tastes. It is well known that Takeda Shingen created the foundations for Shinshu miso, Date Masamune built Japan's first miso factory to make Sendai miso, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu both preferred Mikawa miso, a type of bean miso, and had it made.

During the Edo period, wealthy households made their own miso, but gradually they began making it for sale. At that time, the populations of Osaka and Edo were growing, and miso from the surrounding areas could no longer keep up with demand. So miso was delivered from all over the country, and the business boomed. At the same time, miso quickly became a part of the dining tables of ordinary people.

After the war, when the Showa era began and Western and European food culture was adopted, and bread was eaten even in school lunches, miso consumption dropped sharply. At the time, miso was sold by weight, but when it began to be sold in plastic containers and packs, each household could easily purchase it, and it later evolved into miso that was easier to cook with, such as miso with dashi stock and freeze-dried.

Now, in a time when people have become overfed and are concerned about obesity and health problems, this simple yet extremely excellent fermented food, miso, has come to be known and enjoyed by people of all ages and genders in many countries from Japan.

In the cold season, sprinkling shichimi pepper on pork soup or stewed offal is irresistible!
Even when you don't have an appetite or are feeling unwell in the morning, miso soup is gentle on your stomach, brain and skin!

At Tempo Star, we offer tours where you can learn about Hatcho miso from Aichi Prefecture, sample miso from all over Japan, and make Nagoya's specialty miso stewed udon noodles using Hatcho miso.

Author: himiko