Kome Miso

A category of miso made with white rice; most common type miso

Genmai Miso

Made with brown rice giving it a unique, nutty, flavor; a newer variety of miso that's becoming popular in N. America

Mugi Miso

Made with barley grains, has a long ...

AKA MISO 赤味噌

Made from about 70% soybean and 30% rice/barley. Instead of boiled, the soybeans are steamed before koji is added. 

Red miso contains the highest levels of protein of all types of miso. 

Despite its name red miso's color can range from deep amber to chestn...

Awase Miso 合わせ味噌

Awase miso mixes red and white miso together for a product that combines the delicateness of white miso with the robustness of red, because of this, it is more versatile and can be used for any purposes.

The taste of miso is usually categorized into:

1. Sweet (Ama Miso 甘味噌)

2. Mild (Amakuchi Miso 甘口味噌)

3. Salty (Karakuchi Miso 辛口味噌) based on the ratio of salt and koji used.

Sendai Miso (仙台味噌)

A dark reddish brown miso produced in Miyagi prefecture (Sendai is the prefectural capital of Miyagi). Although made with the same ingredients as Shinshu and Saikyo miso, it contains more soybeans than rice. Despite its higher sodium content (11-13%), its saltiness ...

There are 3 main subtypes of miso. They are red, white, and awase. 

White Miso / SHIRO MISO 白味噌

Its more yellowish beige color(than white) due to the soybeans' boiling process which prevents the Maillard reaction. Its made with about 40% soybean and 60% rice/barley and a sho...

1. Color as an indicator of the miso's age and saltiness. 

The color of miso ranges from light yellow-brown to reddish brown to dark chocolate brown; the flavor from mildly, salty to sweet to strong and very salty. 

The longer a miso is aged, the deeper in color and flavor it gets. 

Organic or GM

If you want miso thats made from soy beans that are organically grown (not genetically modified) look for ones that say yuuki (有機. Most if not all miso that say mutenka (無添加）or additive-free are also non-GM . 

If the miso is made from "kokusan" (国産) or domestic (Jap...

5. With/without dashi

Since miso is so often used in conjunction with dashi stock, some misos already have dashi added to them. These are usually labeled dashi iri （だし入り）

If you don't want one with dashi, look for additive-free or mutenka (無添加）miso

If you can't ...

Other types of miso you should know about

Shinshu (信州味噌), the yellow miso

Originally produced in Nagano prefecture (Shinshu 信州 during feudal times). It is made with rice koji, soybeans, and salt.

It contains less rice koji and 10-12% sodium con...

4. Japanese or non-Japanese miso

Commercially available Japan-made miso is usually aged for 6 months to 2 years. It may be useful to note that misos made by Eden Foods in the U.S. or Clearspring in the UK may have not been aged as long, and therefore do not have depth of flavor. I've tried ...

Koji Miso (麹味噌)

This miso is made with large quantities of koji, producing miso with a sweet and mild taste, a chunky texture, deep aroma, and rich flavor. Koji miso can be made of rice, barley, or soybean, but the ratio of koji used in miso is higher and the koji grains are visi...

(西京味噌) - a priced golden yellow miso traditionally made in the Kyoto/Kansai region. Its sweetness comes from the sugar byproduct produced during fermentation [like in amazake) , low sodium content (5-7%), higher rice koji ratio to soybeans, and a short fermentation period

Makes for a good d...

3. Shelf life 

You can definitely keep unopened miso at room temperature, though it is suggested that you keep it in a cool, dark area. 

But once opened, the best way to store miso which is considered a living food; according to manufacturers is to store it well covered in a...

Miso is a traditional Japanese condiment made by fermenting soybeans with salt and koji, a type of mold used to create a wide variety of fermented foods in Japan. Often, additional ingredients, such as barley, rice, seaweed or even dashi are added to add complexity to the flavor. The result is a ...