Mmm. Miso Tasty.

 I challenge you to say ‘Miso Tasty’ without laughing. At least in your head. C’mon, you’d have to be dead inside not to chuckle at that.

Miso Tasty is set on getting more people eating, drinking and experimenting with miso with a cutely packaged range of miso paste. Bonnie Chung, a self proclaimed food-lover and previous organizer of many supper clubs, felt it was time one of her favourite ingredients stepped up to the limelight. And who knew all the things you could do with miso?

Where on Earth Does Miso Come From?

For me, miso is one of those things that just ‘exists’. Just as many children are clueless to the fact that beef comes from cows, rather than trees (ok, so some slight exaggeration there. I hope.) I never stopped to think where miso came from. I mean, I didn’t even know it was fermented. Yes people, miso is made from deprivation. Of oxygen. And I bet you didn’t know that traditionally, miso can be fermented for three years. I suddenly have a new-found respect for miso.

But what is it made from?! Nil points to whoever thinks it comes from a miso plant.* Think of miso like a solid version of soya sauce. Except that some misos are made from other grains such as rice or barley. And depending on the length of fermentation and what it’s made from, the colour of miso varies greatly from a pale yellow (it’s just a baby miso) to a rich dark brown (it’s an oldie).

Health Benefits of Miso    

As well as being rich in proteins, vitamins, fibre and amino acids, studies have shown that miso can aid digestion and absorption of nutrients. There are also studies that indicate miso can aid fatigue relief, cholesterol reduction, improved digestion and more.

So what, I should drink miso every day?

Wrong. Well partly. Yes, you can drink miso every day but as Bonnie demonstrated with her Miso Tasty range, it’s such a versatile ingredient, you can use it almost every form of cooking, including desserts. Therefore, as well as drinking miso, you should also eat it.

Miso is the Healthy Version of Waffly Versatile Potato Waffles**

But even better – you can use Miso Tasty in puddings! At Bonnie’s event, we got a clear idea of how we can use miso in our cooking; as a dip for crudités (celery works best), on aubergine (a bit like a nasu dengaku but less sweet), in coleslaw (the trick is to mix your veg with half tahini and half miso paste, along with some extras. It tasted like it had mayonnaise in, it was that creamy), on fish (we sampled different miso with black cod and salmon) and also in biscuits (oh yes, bakers, there’s something for everyone here). If your imagination is a little tired, see here for more miso inspiration.

The Miso Tasty Range

There are two flavours currently available – the Classic ‘Shiro’ Miso soup (white miso = sweeter) and the Spicy ‘Aka’ Miso Soup (red miso blend with nanami and Sancho chillies). Each comes in a 2-part kit with a separate pack of umami powder, wakame seaweed and spring onions. The added bonus is that each pack comes with illustrated instructions.

10 Clever Things About Miso Tasty

1. It’s a fun name and you can amuse yourself for hours coming up with ‘Miso…’ alternatives.
2. The kits are small and easy to pop in your bag for that emergency mini-meal or snack.
3. Add leftovers (vermicelli noodles, cooked rice or a boiled egg all go well. As do chicken, prawns, seaweed… anything really!) to turn a cup of miso into a full blown meal.
4. They’re gluten free…
5. And GM free. And there’s definitely no MSG in these.
6. No animals were hurt or used in the production of Miso Tasty. Go nuts, vegetarians!
7. It’s produced in the Shincho region of Japan in small batches so quality is guaranteed.
8. Buy the 8 Pack (from £7.70) from misotasty.com and it comes in a box that fits through the letterbox with no need for signatures or any of that jazz. The single taster pack (£2) also fits through the slot too.
9. These are packed with way more taste than the powdered versions. By having the paste and umami separately packaged it keeps everything fresher and truer to authenticity.
10. Each serving contains 8% protein a pack and only 37 calories. Those on the 5:2 diet, you’ve just struck gold.

Enough Chat Already, Where Can I Buy Miso Tasty?

• If you don’t want to walk, head over to misotasty.co.uk and order online.
• If you’re up for an adventure, pop into Selfridges Foodhall or Harvey Nichols.

Mmm. Miso Full.

*there is no such thing.

** You need to have been around when this was on TV to understand this reference.