Hello, Everyone!
Here’s Sachi!
Speaking of Japanese people, miso soup
Miso, the original ingredient of miso soup, was introduced to Japan in the Asuka era (645-715 A.D., 7th century).
History of Miso Soup
During the Kamakura era(1190-1329 A.D., 12th-14th century), the meal format of 一汁一菜（ichijuuissai = soup and rice) took root in samurai society, and the custom of eating miso soup with every meal was established.
During the warring period, from the late Muromachi era(1392-1573 A.D., 14th-16th century) to the Sengoku era (1467-1615 A.D., 15th-17th century), it began to spread as a war food.
Why did it become a war food?
People used taro stems boiled in miso as strings on the battlefield. When they ran out of food on the battlefield, they chopped up the strings made of taro stems, put them in hot water, and ate them.
The taro stem is strong with many fibers, a characteristic that makes it easy to bind things.
Why was it cooked in miso before use?
This is because it was easy to make miso soup with taro stems on the battlefield, where there were no cooking utensils, so it could be made into what we now call instant miso soup.
In the Edo era (1615-1868 A.D., 17th-19th century), miso soup became popular among the common people, and since then, miso soup has been a staple of the Japanese diet.
The Wonderful Miso Soup
In recent years, people tend to say that miso soup contains too much salt…
Each cup of miso soup contains approximately 1.2g of salt.
- 8.0 for men
- 7.0 for women.
In addition, by adding potassium-rich foods to miso soup, excess salt is eliminated from the body.
Foods such as wakame seaweed, taros, potatoes, and tofu are high in potassium and go very well with miso soup. The combination of tofu, which is good for digestion, and leeks, which are good for the stomach, also strengthens the gastrointestinal tract.
The main ingredient of miso is soybeans.
Soybeans contain high amounts of high-quality dietary protein. In addition, miso produces large amounts of amino acids and vitamins through fermentation. Miso contains all nine amino acids essential for life!
It also contains a very large number of other nutrients such as minerals, dietary fiber, and carbohydrates.
Simmering other ingredients in nutritious miso is a wonderful way to consume nutrients leached from the ingredients together.
This is why miso soup is good for you.
Miso soup has been an indispensable traditional Japanese food that has supported the health of the Japanese people since ancient times.
In Japan, people say miso soup is good for hangovers.
Hangovers are caused by a failure of the liver to break down alcohol and the accumulation of toxic substances in the body, as well as dehydration.
Supplementing the liver with energizing nutrients and adequate fluids is the key to recovering from a hangover quickly.
By eating miso soup, the amino acids and minerals help the liver function, along with the water and salt that help with dehydration.
How to make Miso Soup
Ingredients (for 2 persons)
- Cut ingredients into small pieces.
Cut tofu into about 2 cm cubes.
Cut fried tofu into long, thin strips
Cut vegetables into small, bite-sized pieces. - Fill a pot with 2 bowls (about 320 ml) of water, add tofu, fried tofu, and vegetables, and bring to a boil.
- Bring to a boil and simmer slightly until the ingredients are cooked.
- Turn off the heat and dissolve the miso.
- Reheat and simmer slightly over low heat.
- Put green onion and dried wakame seaweed in a bowl and pour miso soup.
- Finished
It is recommended that dried wakame be softened at the temperature of the finished miso soup rather than simmered with the ingredients, as it has a crunchy texture.
＼Use this link to get 30% off your first lesson.／
If you are interested in learning Japanese, try Preply’s private lessons!
