Miso is a thick, salty paste made from soybeans that have been left to ferment, usually with rice or barley and a mould culture. It is a basic ingredient in Japanese cooking.

Miso is a thick, salty paste made from soybeans that have been left to ferment,Miso味噌是一種濃稠、鹹的醬,用發酵過的黃豆做成 usually with rice or barley and a mould culture.通常還會加米或大麥,還有麴菌 It is a basic ingredient in Japanese cooking.它是日本料理裡的基本食材。

You dissolve a spoonful in hot water with tofu and seaweed to make miso soup, or you rub it on fish or aubergine before grilling. The colour tells you a lot: white miso (白味噌) is milder and a little sweet, red or dark miso is stronger and saltier.

You dissolve a spoonful in hot water with tofu and seaweed你可以舀一匙,加熱水、豆腐和海帶,化開來 to make miso soup,做成miso soup味噌湯 or you rub it on fish or aubergine before grilling.或是在烤之前,把它抹在魚或茄子上 The colour tells you a lot:顏色能透露很多訊息 white miso (白味噌) is milder and a little sweet,white miso白味噌比較溫和,帶點甜味 red or dark miso is stronger and saltier.紅色或深色的miso味道比較重、比較鹹。

In English it is an uncountable noun — 'add some miso', not 'add a miso' — and it often sits in front of another noun: miso soup, miso paste, miso ramen, miso butter. Because Japanese food is everywhere now, English speakers use the word without explaining it, and cooks have started borrowing it for things that are not Japanese at all — miso caramel, miso pasta.

In English it is an uncountable noun —在英文裡,它是不可數名詞 'add some miso', not 'add a miso' —要說'add some miso加一點miso',不是'add a miso' and it often sits in front of another noun:而且它常常放在另一個名詞前面 miso soup, miso paste, miso ramen, miso butter.miso soup味噌湯、miso paste味噌醬、miso ramen味噌拉麵、miso butter味噌奶油 Because Japanese food is everywhere now,因為現在日本料理到處都是 English speakers use the word without explaining it,英語使用者用這個字時不再需要解釋 and cooks have started borrowing it for things that are not Japanese at all —廚師甚至開始把它借去用在完全不是日本菜的東西上 miso caramel, miso pasta.像miso caramel味噌焦糖、miso pasta味噌義大利麵。

The word is also a shorthand in food writing for that deep savoury taste people call umami.

The word is also a shorthand in food writing這個字在美食寫作裡,也常常拿來簡稱 for that deep savoury taste people call umami.那種濃厚的鮮味,也就是大家說的umami旨味。