Hello reader, thanks for being here! I’m Kana and this is the Sunday edition of Tending Gardens, which you can read about here.
If you like it and want more like it in your inbox, consider subscribing.
miso soup, a sigh of relief
In each culture, there’s the carb that’s at the heart of every meal. For most Asian cultures it’s rice that lays the foundation. “We can’t be full without it!” my grandparents would say. But besides the main carb, there’s the dish that gets much less recognition despite it’s a constant presence at the dinner table. It’s so ordinary, yet delicious in a subtle way, that it almost always goes unnoticed. It’s the reliable pairing to the carb, it’s the secondary dish that binds a meal together.
When I think of Japanese cooking, it’s miso soup. The miso bowl always sits next to the bowl of rice, and together with the rice the pair always says ‘welcome home’. For me, miso feels like a long sigh of relief at the end of the day.
On my Cantonese side, I also remember soup’s presence at almost every meal. Much more varied than miso soup, Chinese soups are made for different occasions and seasons. My Chinese grandma had a long list of reasons why soup is good for the body—she would say it cures diseases, prevents sickness, and provides strength. What could soup not do?
Soup simply reminds me of wholesome and subtle flavours, which makes me happy in a way not much else can. I think that the most nourishing meal is a simple soup—lovingly cooked and full of goodness.
making miso from scratch
Miso, like so many other cabinet and kitchen items, are one of the many things that have always been store-bought for me, so I didn’t give it a second thought if it was something I could make myself. So when a friend asked me if I wanted to join her and her grandma to make miso from scratch I had an ‘ah!’ moment. I realized that, with guidance, I can make and learn things I’ve taken always for granted.
I was surprised by how simple it was to make miso. The ingredients are probably harder to source if you’re not in Japan, but the process was very straightforward. Miso is a fermented soybean paste made from soybeans, grains, salt, and koji culture (fermentation starter).
The steps went like this: soak the soybeans for ~18 hours; pressure cook soybeans until they are soft enough to crush; mash the soybeans until it’s like a paste; combine with koji and salt mixture; while it’s still warm knead it all together; lastly, knock out the air and seal the miso in a container.
The final step is fermentation! We were told to let our miso sit for at least half a year to ferment—longer waiting time yields darker and richer taste. Tune in again next fall for a miso update.
lessons from grandma
Meeting Kaede’s grandma, I was reminded of joy it is to spend time with elders. Her grandma didn’t shy from scolding us—it was honest, sincere, and charming. We were late to arrive and we got a prompt and stern talk about how it’s important to keep time. It was the kind of lessons you’d expect from your grandparents!
The charming side was her kindness and overflowing need to make sure we were fed. Over a table full of homecooked Japanese food, she shared stories from her past like being a young woman in Europe without speaking any English or meeting and falling in love with a Sweedish man for a whim, it was like stepping back in time.
My grandmothers aren’t here anymore, but when I think of them I think of joyful times when we would sit around the table having delicious homecooked food with family.
Miso is the key ingredient in miso soup, but it also can be used as a seasoning, marinade and so much more. There are so many ways to enjoy miso! If you want to make your own miso, check our Just One Cookbook (my go-to English website for Japanese cooking).
Thank you for being here with me this week and Happy Lunar New Year to the Asian community celebrating this time of the year! May you and your family be healthy, safe, and well. February 12 marked the beginning of the Year of the Ox. The ox is meant to symbolize hard work, positivity, and goodness. May all those things manifest in your life this year!
Take care,
Kana
I’d love for you to think of me as your penpal—sharing a note from a tiny village in Japan. With Tending Gardens, I want to bring you a small joy in the form of a newsletter. If you like it and want more like it in your inbox, consider subscribing.