miso

noun

mi·​so ˈmē-(ˌ)sō 

plural misos

: a fermented paste that is used especially in Japanese cuisine, that consists chiefly of soybeans, salt, and usually grain (such as barley or rice), and that has a savory taste ranging from very salty to somewhat sweet

… miso, the savory paste that flavors everything in Japanese cuisine from soups and pickles to dressings for salads.

—Harris Salat

Darker misos, such as brown and red, are fermented longer and have a stronger flavor. Lighter-colored misos have been fermented for less time, and have a milder, less salty flavor …

—Robin Asbell

Miso is teeming with protein, B vitamins and minerals, and rich in glutamates, which give food that meaty taste known as umami.

—Carole Kotkin

… miso paste is made by fermenting soybeans and sometimes grains (such as rice, barley, or rye) with a mold …

—Cook's Illustrated

We live on rice, fish, pickles, noodles, and miso soup, made from soybeans.

—James Fallows

Examples of miso in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

View Comments Despite an image of a rat in a bowl of miso soup circulating widely on social media for weeks since January, Sukiya did not confirm the incident until late March. —John Liu, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2025

This came after a rat was found in the miso soup at the chain’s Sukiya Tottori Minamiyoshikata store back in January. —Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025

Every dish is a highlight from the baba ganoush with curry leaf oil and pine nuts to cucumbers with tahini and chilli cucumber chilli to Jerusalem artichokes, ras el hanout and miso. —Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025

Kō has received awards for its inventive regional Hawaiʻi cuisine like ahi with orange-ginger miso cooked on a hot lava rock, and the Paniolo bone-in ribeye with a Hawaiian rub, fern shoots, and a sweet potato croquette. —Elizabeth Brownfield, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Japanese

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing miso

• miso paste
• miso soup