User:Keroobean/Miso

Content from this page has been merged with the existing article on Miso.

Miso is an indispensable part of Japanese food culture. It produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and the fungus of a Kojikin(麹菌), the most being made with soy. Miso has high in protein and rich in vitamins and and minerals. Miso placed an important nutritioal role. Miso and Japanese foods are related deeply.

History

Miso was conveyed from China or the Korean peninsula to Japan. Ancient Chinese jan(醤) is the origin. Jan is an ancient fermented seasoning. According to classical scholar, jan was read hishio or kuki in the Edo era. In China, jan was seen in the Shurai, that is a Chinese ancient document. People has been improving to make miso better from anccient jan to current miso.

The miso existed in the Jomon era in Japan. Jan is the Japanese original seasoning. In Nara era, jan was found in Nishi city, Heiankyo. According to a book written in the Heian era, miso was used for the seasoning of the porridge of rice and vegetables.

These days, Japanese make miso in their houses, which called "Temae-miso". In the muromachi era, it was used as food preservative and as a seasoning. In the times of civil strife, it was used as food. Miso became a precious nourishment source for solders. In the Edo era, an industrial mass production method of miso was established; "Temae-miso" disappeared.

References

[味噌 - Wikipedia] <http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/味噌> (7/17,2009 accessed)

[MISO ONLINE] <http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=ja-jp&q=味噌&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8> (7/17,2009 accessed)