This sweetly pungent fermented soybean paste is at the very heart of traditional Japanese cooking.
Miso, that elemental paste of fermented soybeans, was once made in most Japanese homes, both in the cities and in the countryside.
Recipes and procedures were well-guarded family secrets, the process took months, and no two batches of miso would ever taste the same—due to varying proportions of salt to soybeans, the common (but not essential) addition of rice or barley, and the length of fermentation.
Even the soil in which the soybeans were grown could make a difference. Miso, as a result, became a source of great family pride. "Temae miso desuga," one would say—meaning "I don't want to boast about my miso, but..."
