Day 0. Before we start, Dashi & Miso.Welcome to the 10 Days of Everyday Miso Soup! Thank you so much for being here.I’m so excited to be able to share some of my favorite recipes with you. My sincere hope in creating the 10 Days of Everyday Miso Soup is to bring a small moment of calm, joy, and peace into your everyday lives through the magic of homemade miso soup. Not to mention the abundance of health benefits created by the mighty microorganisms during fermentation. Yes! Let’s take a deep breath, open up your innate senses, trust yourself and enjoy!What is miso soup? Miso soup is simply: Miso + Dashi + Your choice of vegetables, seaweed, tofu, seafood, or meat. How is miso made?Miso is traditionally made by combining and fermenting boiled soybeans, a type of koji, and salt. The flavor, color, and texture greatly depend on the length of the fermentation, the amount of each ingredient, temperature during fermentation, and the region where the miso is made. What is koji? Koji’s official name is Aspergillus Oryzae. A non- pathogenic mold or fungus that is THE MAGIC and secret behind the “amami (sweetness) found in the umami” in many condiments, seasoning, and drinks made in Japan. Miso, mirin, sake, soy sauce, amazake to name a few are all created by combining koji with base ingredients. Koji is made by sprinkling and inoculating steamed grains (commonly white rice) or beans (soybeans) with “koji-kin” which is a koji-mold found mostly in Japan. What are the different types of miso? Three of the most common and traditional miso are:1). Kome-Miso or Miso: Most common miso found in grocery stores. Kome-miso or just miso is made by fermenting kome-koji (steamed rice inoculated with the koji mold), boiled soybeans, and salt. It has a mild flavor that is delicious in miso soups, salad dressing, marinades, and as sauces. Super versatile and easy to find. 2). Mugi-Miso or Barley Miso: My personal favorite:) Sweet and mild. Barley miso is made by fermenting barley-koji (steamed barley inoculated with the koji mold), boiled soybeans and salt. Mugi-miso is traditionally made in the Kyushu and Aichi prefectures where barley is commonly grown. Compared to kome-miso, mugi-miso is fermented with lesser salt and more koji. This way of fermentation brings out the sweetness of the koji. Available at most Japanese markets. 3). Mame-Miso or Soybean Miso: Most popular mame-miso is Haccho-Miso a native to the Nagoya region in Aichi prefecture. The boiled soybeans are directly inoculated with the koji-mold creating a very distinct flavor. Because of its long fermentation time (about 2 years) mame-miso has a dark reddish brown color and very intense in taste. Found in most Japanese markets. Last but not least, fermented foods such as miso, sauerkraut and yogurt are “live” foods that are created by the works of microorganisms to make foods more nutritious and delicious for us!! Fermented foods are also known to aid in digestion, support nutrient absorption, and strengthen our immune health. All things good. Love it. ————————————————————————DASHI. Intricate, deep, and flavorful. It’s the “umami” factor found in many Japanese dishes like miso soup and ramen. It’s the mmmmmmmmm, ahhhhhhh, as you take a deep breath and nod kind of good. If you have the time, always make dashi from scratch. You will taste the difference. No comparison. Instant powder dashi is definitely useful when you’re in a hurry or traveling, but at home, making dashi from scratch is worth the few extra minutes. I promise. Dashi for miso soup is relatively easy to make and requires only two ingredients. Kombu(dry kelp) and katsuobushi (bonito flakes). That’s it! The most important step in making dashi is the timing when removing the bonito flakes from the kombu stock. Soak it for too long and the dashi becomes slightly bitter, if you take it out too quickly you lose the umami factor. Just like anything else, try it a few times and you’ll find your own timing:) ————————————————————————Recipe: (serves 2-3 people)*This recipe is used for all recipes. 3 cups water1- 2” x 2” square kombu (dried kelp)1 cup katsuobushi (bonito flakes)1. Fill saucepan with water, add kombu, heat to medium heat and slowly bring to a boil. 2. Once the water starts to boil, remove the kombu. If you like, thinly cut the kombu and enjoy as topping.3. Add bonito flakes. Once it starts to boil, immediately lower heat and simmer for 6-7 minutes or until the flakes settle to the bottom. 4. Strain out the bonito flakes. 5. Now you’re ready to make miso soup:)Thank you for joining me today for Day 0 of 10 Days of Miso Soup! Tomorrow is Day 1. I hope to see you there:) ❤️I hope you enjoyed today’s video, if you did, please let me know by liking the video, subscribing, and sharing with your friends! As always please leave me any comments or questions below.Music: “Honeysuckle” by Honeyroot, iMovie Soundtrack
