Hi,
I'm trying to make a simple but typical miso soup.
As I googled my way out of all the recipes, I'm
now using these ingredients : tofu, miso, carrots, onions,
bonito stock,ginger and garlic and cabbage leaves (chinese), I'm thinking
about some seaweed, but I'm not really sure...
So my question now is, could I add something more, to get
a typical asian miso soup taste?
I think I'm looking for some surprise ingredient, that would make
this miso soup, unforgettable... lol, I do hope someone knows
of some secret ingredient that would inhance my cooking.
thnx in advance
otherwise, thnx anyway...

digibudi :: ^-^ ::

"Nikolaas Debeuf" > wrote in message
...
> Hi,
> I'm trying to make a simple but typical miso soup.
> As I googled my way out of all the recipes, I'm
> now using these ingredients : tofu, miso, carrots, onions,
> bonito stock,ginger and garlic

Ginger and Garlic are not found in any authentic miso soup

and cabbage leaves (chinese), I'm thinking
> about some seaweed, but I'm not really sure...
> So my question now is, could I add something more, to get
> a typical asian miso soup taste?

By age (fried tofu) and Wakame

> I think I'm looking for some surprise ingredient, that would make
> this miso soup, unforgettable... lol, I do hope someone knows
> of some secret ingredient that would inhance my cooking.
> thnx in advance
> otherwise, thnx anyway...
>
> digibudi :: ^-^ ::
>
>
>

thnx Freddy, I'm gonna get some Wakame, and
I hope I'll find the fried tofu here in this small european town!

:: ^-^ :: digibudi, "make food, not war"

Nikolaas Debeuf wrote:

> thnx Freddy, I'm gonna get some Wakame, and
> I hope I'll find the fried tofu here in this small european town!

Don't use to much wakame. My first attempt at miso soup ended
up as seaweed soup. One small handful and you'll be surprised.

--
Dan

Thnx dan,
And how about the Dashi, should I use it?
I think I'm gonna use just a bit.
thnx for the tips!

:: ^-^ ::

"Nikolaas Debeuf" > wrote in message
...
> Thnx dan,
> And how about the Dashi, should I use it?
> I think I'm gonna use just a bit.
> thnx for the tips!

IMHO, it ain't Miso soup without the Hon Dashi! My method is to
simmer the Hon Dashi in the appropriate amount of water for 10
minutes, add the miso mixed with a little water, bring just to boiling
and served with chopped green onions on top.

A little sushi vinegar, soy sauce and garlic/chili sauce in the
initial stages does no harm at all, IMHO!


--
James V. Silverton
Potomac, Maryland, USA

Here are my notes on Miso soup which I thinke I may have posted (to
not universal acclaim (g) in alf food.sushi.

Miso Soup



This soup is served every morning in Japan flavored with seasonal
vegetables. There are several different kinds of miso paste available
in the United States. Shiro-miso paste is a mild one and is low in
salt. On the other hand, aka-miso is very salty and has a different,
stronger fragrance than shiro-miso. Miso soup base is made out of a
fish stock called (hon-)dashi. You can purchase dashi at any Oriental
food shop.



Basic instructions (JVS)



About one tsp dashi for 2 cups soup. Dissolve the dashi in water, add
vegetables needing cooking and possibly a ½ tsp grated ginger. Soy
sauce is always needed . about 1 tab for two cups soup. Dashi is made
from dried bonito but the old-fish taste diminishes after cooking for
10 minutes. Suspend 1 tab miso in 1 tab water and stir in. Heat but
don't boil. Add green onions and serve.



It's horribly untraditional and cross-cultural contaminated but 1 tab
vinegar and ¼ tsp garlic-chili does no harm at all! Seven-spice powder
also is good.



You can enjoy almost any vegetable with this soup, from lettuce to
snow pea pods. Here's a list of vegetables you might want to try in
the miso soup.





Vegetables (gu) and preparation suggestions



.. Chinese cabbage, cut into bite-size squares or triangles

· Cabbage, cut into bite-size squares or triangles

· Lettuce, cut into bite-size squares or triangles

· Green onions, sliced

.. Very thinly sliced garlic can be added at end like green
onions

· Onions, sliced

· Leeks, sliced or chopped

· Okra, chopped

· Snow pea pods

· Mushrooms, sliced (possibly cooked as a "hard veg.")

· Bean sprouts (remember to blanch first)

· Tofu, cut into small cubes

· Wakame seaweed

· Natto beans (minced?)



· Butternut squash*, thinly sliced

.. Green beans*

· Daikon*, thinly sliced

· Potatoes*, thinly sliced

· Sweet potatoes*, thinly sliced



* These hard vegetables must be cooked for ten minutes or so.

Not recommended: green pepper, celery (vegetables with strong flavor)



Some definitions.



Shoyu soy sauce

Tamari thick soy sauce

Wakame dried seaweed

Nori dried laver seaweed

Gari pickled ginger


--
James V. Silverton
Potomac, Maryland, USA

Nathan Lau wrote:

> If you could find some konbu - dried seaweed used for making stock, that
> would be "more authentic" than using the powdered dashi.

For any beginning lurker, this is a typo. It is KOMBU, and simple info
is available:
http://www.fatfree.com/foodweb/food/kombu.html

blacksalt

Nikolaas Debeuf wrote:

> Hi,
> I'm trying to make a simple but typical miso soup.
> As I googled my way out of all the recipes, I'm
> now using these ingredients : tofu, miso, carrots, onions,
> bonito stock,ginger and garlic and cabbage leaves (chinese), I'm thinking
> about some seaweed, but I'm not really sure...
> So my question now is, could I add something more, to get
> a typical asian miso soup taste?
> I think I'm looking for some surprise ingredient, that would make
> this miso soup, unforgettable... lol, I do hope someone knows
> of some secret ingredient that would inhance my cooking.
> thnx in advance
> otherwise, thnx anyway...

If you could find some konbu - dried seaweed used for making stock, that
would be "more authentic" than using the powdered dashi. In the same
vein, try using bonito flakes instead of granules (just remember to
strain them out after they've given up their flavor. I would also
suggest using shiro miso instead of the darker kinds. By onions do you
mean round onions or green onions? I'm not sure about the ginger and
garlic - never had it in my miso soups that I know of. Ginger might
make it a bit of a surprise, but don't use too much of it.

--
Aloha,

Nathan Lau
San Jose, CA

#include <std.disclaimer>

"Steve Wertz" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 3 Apr 2004 19:13:59 -0500, "James Silverton"
> > wrote:
>
> >About one tsp dashi for 2 cups soup. Dissolve the dashi in water,
add
> >vegetables needing cooking and possibly a ½ tsp grated ginger. Soy
> >sauce is always needed . about 1 tab for two cups soup. Dashi is
made
> >from dried bonito but the old-fish taste diminishes after cooking
for
> >10 minutes.
>
> I've never experimented with miso - ever. Never even tasted it
> yet (I know - I'm a slacker). My brother left an unopened pound in
> the fridge last time he visited so it's now mine.
>
> Can you make dashi from bonito flakes? I have those (I don't know
> why, though).
>
> Is dashi sold in bottles, tubs, tubes, or old socks? Somehow I
> remember seeing little 2oz bottles of what might have been dashi.
> You can really make 16oz of stock from just a teaspoon?
>
> I'm really good at SE Asian and Chinese ingredients, but when it
> comes to Japanese stuffs I'm completely clueless.
>

Around here, there is only one real Japanese grocery store which of
course has Hon Dashi, also labelled "Bonito Fish Stock" but several
Chinese stores don't let nationality get in the way of commerce (g)
and also have it. I've never tried to make it but I find the brand I
use, Ajinomoto, is very satisfactory and quite inexpensive. The little
red-topped jar suggests 1 teaspoon of the powder for 3 cups of Miso
soup. There are other Japanese soup stocks made by Ajinomoto but these
I have only seen in the Japanese store.

Good Luck!

James V. Silverton
Potomac, Maryland, USA

Hi again,
Thnx for the multi-tips!
I'm beginning to understand the miso soup!
So now I' ve got : middle type of miso, green
spring onion, some Dashi made of Bonito flakes and
seaweed, some Wakame too, I've got the age fried tofu and
I'm using the ginger and garlic for some other dish.
I think everyone will like this miso soup!
I now understand that miso soup is made of simple but
good ingredients. From here on, I could make a new soup,
based on the miso soup. I'm thinking about some lemon grass,
but don't know if it will go with the miso taste.
I'm getting back to my lab, thnx again!


:: ^-^ :: digibudi, "make food, not war"

"Steve Wertz" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 3 Apr 2004 19:13:59 -0500, "James Silverton"
> > wrote:
>
> >About one tsp dashi for 2 cups soup. Dissolve the dashi in water, add
> >vegetables needing cooking and possibly a ½ tsp grated ginger. Soy
> >sauce is always needed . about 1 tab for two cups soup. Dashi is made
> >from dried bonito but the old-fish taste diminishes after cooking for
> >10 minutes.
>
> I've never experimented with miso - ever. Never even tasted it
> yet (I know - I'm a slacker). My brother left an unopened pound in
> the fridge last time he visited so it's now mine.
>
> Can you make dashi from bonito flakes? I have those (I don't know
> why, though).
>
> Is dashi sold in bottles, tubs, tubes, or old socks? Somehow I
> remember seeing little 2oz bottles of what might have been dashi.
> You can really make 16oz of stock from just a teaspoon?
>
> I'm really good at SE Asian and Chinese ingredients, but when it
> comes to Japanese stuffs I'm completely clueless.
>
> -sw

Steve,

No problems making dashi with dried bonito flakes. Use approx one tablespoon
of flakes to one cup of water. Boil for 2 minutes then strain, You can allow
to cool if desired, but there isn't a great deal of extra flavour to be had.

This is known as katsuo-dashi.

Graeme

IMHO you should start from ichiban dashi
(clear broth made from konbu and bonito flakes.

Then add red miso, some cubes of Japanes tofu
(NOT FRIED) and some spring onions.

Use sansho pepper (if you like) at the table.

Philippe



"Nikolaas Debeuf" > wrote in message
...
> Hi again,
> Thnx for the multi-tips!
> I'm beginning to understand the miso soup!
> So now I' ve got : middle type of miso, green
> spring onion, some Dashi made of Bonito flakes and
> seaweed, some Wakame too, I've got the age fried tofu and
> I'm using the ginger and garlic for some other dish.
> I think everyone will like this miso soup!
> I now understand that miso soup is made of simple but
> good ingredients. From here on, I could make a new soup,
> based on the miso soup. I'm thinking about some lemon grass,
> but don't know if it will go with the miso taste.
> I'm getting back to my lab, thnx again!
>
>
> :: ^-^ :: digibudi, "make food, not war"
>
>

Steve Wertz wrote:

> On Sat, 3 Apr 2004 19:13:59 -0500, "James Silverton"
> > wrote:
>
>
>>About one tsp dashi for 2 cups soup. Dissolve the dashi in water, add
>>vegetables needing cooking and possibly a ½ tsp grated ginger. Soy
>>sauce is always needed . about 1 tab for two cups soup. Dashi is made
>>
>>from dried bonito but the old-fish taste diminishes after cooking for
>
>>10 minutes.
>>
>
> I've never experimented with miso - ever. Never even tasted it
> yet (I know - I'm a slacker). My brother left an unopened pound in
> the fridge last time he visited so it's now mine.
>
> Can you make dashi from bonito flakes? I have those (I don't know
> why, though).
>
> Is dashi sold in bottles, tubs, tubes, or old socks? Somehow I
> remember seeing little 2oz bottles of what might have been dashi.
> You can really make 16oz of stock from just a teaspoon?


Typically sold in old socks. But for me, I prefer either the real
bonito flakes. Of course we don't always have time for this, so I've
also bought instant dashi. I have a little bottle which I spoon about
2 - 3 teaspoons for a medium pot of stock.


--
Dan

"Steve Wertz" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 4 Apr 2004 09:43:42 +0100, "Graeme... in London"
> > wrote:
>
> >No problems making dashi with dried bonito flakes. Use approx one
tablespoon
> >of flakes to one cup of water. Boil for 2 minutes then strain, You can
allow
> >to cool if desired, but there isn't a great deal of extra flavour to be
had.
>
> Thanks. What I have is about 50 individually wrapped 1-tablespoon
> packages.
>
> -sw
Steve
You can also use some bonito flakes (and seaweed flakes and sesame seeds)
added to soy sauce for dipping
mandoo.
John

"Steve Wertz" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 4 Apr 2004 09:43:42 +0100, "Graeme... in London"
> > wrote:
>
> >No problems making dashi with dried bonito flakes. Use approx one
tablespoon
> >of flakes to one cup of water. Boil for 2 minutes then strain, You can
allow
> >to cool if desired, but there isn't a great deal of extra flavour to be
had.
>
> Thanks. What I have is about 50 individually wrapped 1-tablespoon
> packages.


That'll work; just inconvenient. When the water comes to a boil, add kombu.
When it comes to a boil again, remove the kombu. (Or heat water with the
kombu in it and remove it when the water comes to a boil. Add the bonito
flakes and remove from heat; let it seep for 2 minutes then strain. The
easiest stock you've ever made.

The best, of course, is to shave a whole piece of bonito fillet as needed,
but I've never seen such a fillet in the States.

Peter

"kalanamak" > wrote in message
...
> Nathan Lau wrote:
>
> > If you could find some konbu - dried seaweed used for making stock, that
> > would be "more authentic" than using the powdered dashi.
>
> For any beginning lurker, this is a typo. It is KOMBU,

Well, actually, it can be either - the Japanese sound that is
in the middle of that word is variously Romanized using either
an "n" or an "m," and is in reality something between these.

Bob M.

Bob Myers wrote:
>
> "kalanamak" > wrote in message
> ...

> > For any beginning lurker, this is a typo. It is KOMBU,
>
> Well, actually, it can be either - the Japanese sound that is
> in the middle of that word is variously Romanized using either
> an "n" or an "m," and is in reality something between these.

How odd. I have bought it many times, seen it on the shelf many more,
and always spelled Kombu. I'm often amused at the English spelling of
Panjabi words, so this shouldn't be such a shock.
blacksalt
learning something new every day

> I'm trying to make a simple but typical miso soup.

What you need for Japanese miso soup is

-* Dashi (bouillon/stock/broth) - Dashi for miso soup is made from either
Dashiko/Iriko (dried anchovy) or Konbu (kelp)-Japanese official Romanised
transcription, spelling/kombu, Katsuobushi (smoked, dried bonito), dried
Shiitake mushroom. Only one ingredient of these or 2-3 combined could be
used to make Dashi.

-* Miso(fermetned salted soy bean paste) - there are so many kinds of Miso
as there are stars in the sky, well this is a bit exaggerated, but this
somewhat tells you the diversity of Miso world. To make simple, there are 2
big groups, white Miso and red(dark brown) Miso.

-* Gu/Misoshiru no Gu (ingredients - soup filling)
vegetables, sea weed(dried/fresh/salted Wakame, Mo, Arame, etc.), fungi,
fish, shell fish, meat (chicken,pork,game), and rather typical Japanese half
processed ingredients like Tofu, Fu, Yuba, Natto and etc..

-* garnish - herbs/spices like Shichimi Togarashi, Yuzu and etc.
Garlic and ginger are not popular ordinary Miso soup garnish, but could be
added according to what kind of ingredients used as filling.
I even tasted with lemon grass flavoured Miso soup in the US, and it was
rather refreshing new taste. Lemon grass is completely foreign to Japanese
cuisine.

Above mentioned ingredients
Dashi-Miso-Filling that is Miso soup and how you would combine them is up to
your fantasy and taste provided that you have a basic understanding of
making Miso soup, i.e. those ingredients won't be cooked up together long
time like you might make Waterzooi or stew.
I guess by "typical miso soup" should mean what is most common and known as
Miso soup in and outside Japan.

Tofu and Wakame Miso soup
Bring Dashi to a boil(take any type of Dashi which suits your taste, make
your own from scratch or use instant powder, etc.).
Put chopped Tofu and Wakame in the Dashi, when it starts reaching boiling
point, turn down the heat and dissolve Miso paste in the soup and do not
boil any more. Just keep it warm.
You can put flavouring/garnish like chopped scallions in the soup at the
very end of cooking process or when you dishing it up in the bowl.

There are many other typical Japanese Miso soup ingredients combinations.
Would anyone be interested in the combo list?
Example
* potato, onion (western regular round onion), Age(deep fried tofu), Shiro
miso - for breakfast this is a very common Miso soup up in the northern
part of Japan, Hokkaido during the winter.
* okura, sesame paste, cucumber, Fu, shiro Miso - cold type summer miso
soup

On March 21 in 2002, Mainichi Journal Osaka placed an enqu¨ºte/survey "What
kind of ingredients come up in your mind when you hear the word
Miso-Shiru(soup)?"
1)-Tofu, 2)-Wakame, 3)-Shijimi(freshwater clam), 4)-potato, 5)-onion,
6)-misc.



MB

In article >, MB >
wrote:

> Konbu (kelp)-Japanese official Romanised
> transcription, spelling/kombu

I'll swear- It literally depends on which brand you buy as to how it's
spelled! I've seen pkgs side-by-side in stores with one pkg spelled
with an 'm' and one with an 'n'.
Do you soppose one tastes better than the other?

monroe(not nomroe)

> In article >, MB >
> wrote:
>
>> Konbu (kelp)-Japanese official Romanised
>> transcription, spelling/kombu
>
> I'll swear- It literally depends on which brand you buy as to how it's
> spelled! I've seen pkgs side-by-side in stores with one pkg spelled
> with an 'm' and one with an 'n'.
> Do you soppose one tastes better than the other?
>
> monroe(not nomroe)

When something new is introduced in a country where no translation
available, the original name of the item would be simply used as loan-word.
But when the original name is not in the same script system, it would be
simply transcribed to the language of the country where it is introduced,
from Japanese word "$B$3$s$V(B" to "Konbu" according to the official Japanese
Romanised letter system.
But in the course of the years, the article could be transcribed differently
according to the way people pronounce the word. In this case in the U.S.
"Kombu" is used.
The speech sounds of the word are presented by phonetic symbols, in this
case in Alphabet.
"Kombu" has become a proper noun, not a transcript any more.
Maybe the car brand "Mazda" is the good example. It is actually "Matsuda",
surname of a person who found the company.$B!!(B

MB