A new habit, which is only a week old, was born out of my recent teaching experience. At breakfast I began spreading a thin layer of Mellow White miso over a generous spread of Isigny butter (sweet) from Normandy on my whole wheat brown toast.
“What kind of flavor do you find in this miso?” I asked eleven students, who are attending my class in the kitchen at Boston University Food and Wine Fall Program. We were tasting Mellow White miso of Miso Master brand. Miso Master miso is made in America by a Japanese miso master in North Carolina by Great Eastern Sun. Miso is produced in an artisan method – going through lengthy fermentation. It is unpasturized and is full of rich, natural flavor. Miso Master miso is my favorite miso available in America.
“Rice”, “lactic acid”, “salty”, “slightly sweet”….whispers spread. Then, one student raised a hand and 
announced that it has a flavor very similar to ‘Parmegiano’! Everyone re-tasted it, including me, and looked each other. Everyone, this time, caught its distinctive slight sharp, nutty, Parmegian cheese like flavor. The ingredients to make Mellow White miso are rice, soybeans, salt and koji. Which chemicals are responsible for the production of this particular flavor profile in the end product – I do not know, but am curious.
After learning different types of miso in the class the students made WHITE SUMISO SAUCE from Hiroko’s American Kitchen. We then poached squid, simmered turnip and served them with the WHITE SUMISO SAUCE.
At the end of the day we were very happy to have achieved a good goal – students: learning a depth about introductory Japanese cooking; I: picking up new decisive flavor profile from my beloved Mellow White miso. Thank you to students.
Here is the recipe for the White Miso Sauce. Cook them until it is no longer watery. There are 20 very delicious recipes using White Miso Sauce in Hiroko’s American Kitchen. Please try them all within this year! If you need a book, click here for a purchase: https://hirokoskitchen.com/shop/
White Miso Sauce (from Hiroko’s American Kitchen)
1 cup Mellow White miso
1/4 cup sake
3 tablespoons mirin
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons grapefruit juice