Miso Soup

Miso soup is assembled rather than cooked in the Western sense: dashi — a broth made from kombu seaweed and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) steeped in hot water — is heated to just below a boil, then miso paste is dissolved into it through a strainer or ladle, never boiled, because boiling kills the beneficial bacteria and dulls the fermented depth. The soup appears at every traditional Japanese breakfast alongside steamed rice and tsukemono (pickles), forming the basic unit of a Japanese home meal. Miso itself ranges from white (shiro, mild and sweet) to red (aka, aged and sharp) with dozens of regional varieties in between, and families tend to have strong preferences about which type the morning bowl uses. The tofu, wakame, and sliced scallion floating in the bowl are the standard additions, though myoga ginger, daikon, and mushrooms appear seasonally.