“The taste is so good that there’s no point”

Miso paste is available in light and dark. ADOBE STOCK / AOP

Japanese bean paste has gained popularity around the world. Miso has been on the rise for several years. It is indeed the same miso that is familiar as a starter soup in Asian restaurants.

Chef Risto Mikkolan according to us, miso is becoming more and more familiar to us Finns, as the enthusiasm for miso that prevailed among the world’s top chefs has reached Finland as well.

Mikkola has made, among other things, miso vinaigrette, which is very suitable for various marinades and for coating fish.

– There’s really a lot of miso. It is suitable, for example, for mayonnaise or hummus, says Mikkola.

Miso is a Japanese thick paste made from fermented soybeans. Miso paste gives dishes a rich and salty taste. It brings a tongue-watering umami taste to the food, which many home cooks also strive for. It has been said about miso that the fifth taste, or umami, tastes best in it.

The paste can be bought ready-made in the store. It can be found, for example, in ethnic grocery stores or large markets.

There may be different miso pastes on sale. The basic rule is that the lighter the miso, the less time it has been fermented. Light miso also has a milder taste.

A soup is created from the paste when water is added to it.

– After that, you can stew the soup as far as you want. You can put seaweed, mushrooms or noodles in it, for example.

Mikkola warns that the taste of miso may seem strange at first. It may take a while to get used to the taste. You should start getting to know miso with broth or soup.

– But when it clicks, the taste is so good that it makes no sense.

The use of miso paste should definitely not be limited to Asian cooking. With it, you can add a delicious full flavor and saltiness to any food.

Miso is best suited as a seasoning for vegetarian dishes, and it gives a nice edge to sauces and, for example, mayonnaise. Miso is also a great seasoning for meat marinating sauces.

This cake below is an example of the versatility of miso. Miso goes great with lime and blueberry.

Miso blueberry cake

Crumble:

100 g wheat flour

85 g cane sugar

4 tablespoons of butter, melted

4 tbsp miso paste

1. Mix all the ingredients into a crumbly mixture.

Cake:

250 g of butter, melted + 2 tablespoons for greasing the pan

250 g wheat flour + 2 tablespoons for flouring the pan

1 tablespoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

½ tsp baking soda

2 eggs

200 g dark sugar

250 g plain yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla spice

4 tbsp miso paste

½ l fresh blueberries

1. Heat the oven to 170 degrees. Put baking paper on the bottom of the springform pan, grease the whole pan with butter and then flour it.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients together. Whip the eggs and sugar to a light foam, add the yogurt and mix until smooth. Stir in the dry ingredients and finally mix in the blueberries.

3. Pour the mass into the pan and cook for 45 minutes. Take the cake out of the oven, sprinkle crumble on top and cook for another 20 minutes.

4. Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool for at least an hour before taking the cake out of the pan.

Lime fraiche:

250 g creme fraiche

Zest of 2 limes

Juice of 2 limes

½ dl powdered sugar

1. Mix all the ingredients together and season.

Lime fillets:

2 limes

1. Peel the limes and fillet them. Decorate the cake with lime wedges.