Miso Tare (Fermented Soybean Seasoning)

Fact-checked on paper only. This recipe has not been cooked or tested yet.

Why this works

Miso ramen is a Sapporo, Hokkaido style, and it reached national fame around 1965 [Wikipedia, Ramen]. We do not give a year of invention, because the sources we could read do not agree on one. Blending red and white miso balances depth against sweetness. The tare is warmed only enough to melt the sugar and blend; a hard boil flattens miso's flavor and aroma. Hot broth will heat it again in the bowl, so we make no claim about live cultures surviving.

Yield: About 350 g (1 1/2 cups), enough for 10 to 12 bowls Times: prep PT10M, cook PT10M, total PT20M (ISO 8601)

Equipment

• 2 quart saucepan
• Whisk
• Glass jar with a lid

Ingredients

• 100 g (1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp) red miso
• 100 g (1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp) white miso
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) sake
• 45 ml (3 Tbsp) mirin
• 15 ml (1 Tbsp) soy sauce
• 15 g (1 Tbsp) sugar
• 10 ml (2 tsp) toasted sesame oil
• 10 g (1 Tbsp) fresh ginger, grated
• 5 g (1 clove) garlic, minced

Steps

1. Simmer the sake and mirin for 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
2. Lower the heat to low and whisk in both misos, the soy sauce and the sugar.
3. Whisk 3 to 4 minutes until smooth and the sugar melts. Keep it well under a simmer, about 160 F (70 C) or cooler, and never boil.
4. Take it off the heat and stir in the sesame oil, ginger and garlic.
5. Cool to room temperature, then jar it.
6. Rest in the fridge overnight before first use.

What to watch for

• Boiling dulls miso's aroma and flavor. Keep the heat low.
• All red miso is harsh and all white is flat. Use the blend.
• Fresh tare tastes sharp. The overnight rest rounds it.

Storage

• Refrigerate in a sealed glass jar and use within 1 week, because it holds fresh garlic and ginger. This is house guidance, not a tested shelf life.
• Freeze in small portions and thaw in the fridge. We have not tested the freezer life, so use it within 1 month for quality.

Allergens: Soy, wheat (soy sauce and some miso), sesame.

Pairs with

Chicken paitan, tonkotsu or vegan kombu and shiitake broth. Use 30 to 40 g per bowl with 300 to 350 ml broth. Classic Sapporo toppings are corn, butter and ground pork.

Sources

1. Wikipedia, Ramen (chintan, paitan, tori paitan terms; Rairaiken; Hakodate shio; Sapporo miso): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramen

Citation links

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramen