Jump to:
Miso is one of the most common Japanese seasonings, and has been a staple part of the Japanese diet for more than 1,300 years. In fact, it is said that miso paste can be found in any Japanese household, and that Japanese families usually have multiple types of miso pastes in their refrigerators!
In case you’re not familiar with miso, it is a nutritionally rich, fermented paste typically made from soybeans. However, these days, there are versions made from different types of beans, grains and mixtures of beans and grains. Each variety of miso paste goes through a different length and process of fermentation, which could last anywhere from a few months to even a few years. With so many different types and brands of miso paste on the market, it can be difficult to know which one to choose.
In this article, we’re going to go over 10 of the best Japanese miso pastes available for purchase on Japanese Taste. Stay tuned to learn more about each miso paste, so that you can make an informed decision when buying one.
We’re going to introduce miso pastes in the following categories:
- Best Koji Miso Paste
- Best Mixed Miso Paste
- Best Dipping Miso Paste
- Best Red Miso Paste
- Best Soy-Free Miso Paste
- Best Miso Paste For Soup
- Best Low Sodium Miso Paste
- Best Organic Miso Paste
- Best Hatcho Miso Paste
- Best Miso Paste For Gut Health
Best Koji Miso Paste
Adachi Jozo Aged Koji Rice Miso Naturally Fermented Miso Paste
Adachi Jozo Aged Koji Rice Miso Naturally Fermented Miso Paste is a classic, high-grade miso paste that you will want to eat every day, meticulously crafted by the artisans at Adachi. This mellow, fully-fermented miso paste is made from quality domestic soybeans and rice koji—traditionally crafted from Hyogo rice—blended with the pure seawater of the Seto Inland Sea.
While most Japanese miso pastes are aged for only around two months, Adachi's miso is aged naturally for 300 days. This long, natural process creates a mellow, balanced flavor and significantly reduces the saltiness. Adachi only uses select domestic ingredients with traditional methods and as few additives as possible, ensuring you get the best in every bite. Use this rice miso to make a hearty bowl of soup, or add it to stir-fries, hot pots, dressings, and marinades for a significant boost of umami goodness.
Pros
- 300-day natural fermentation mellow
- Versatile for soups and marinades
Cons
- Contains alcohol content
Best Mixed Miso Paste
Fundokin Raw Organic Mixed Miso Paste Nama Awase Miso
Fundokin Raw Organic Mixed Miso Paste Nama Awase Miso is a premium awase miso (mixed miso) that blends rice and barley miso for a well-rounded, mellow flavor. This miso is part of the “Nama Tsume Miso” series and is crafted using 100% organic ingredients: soybeans, rice, and barley. A unique feature is that it contains more soybeans than standard awase miso, delivering a richer depth of umami.
Fundokin uses a special “Umami Gyutto Manufacturing Method” that gently steams the soybeans (never boiling them) to preserve their natural sweetness and enhance the texture. This careful process results in a clean and authentic taste. This miso is also unpasteurized and free from additives or preservatives, making it a great choice for your health-oriented friends or family.
Pros
- Organic rice barley soy blend
- Gentle steam preserves sweetness
- No additives or preservatives
- Alcohol-free
Cons
- Color darkens naturally
Best Dipping Miso Paste
Choko Blended Miso Unpasteurized Naked Barley & Rice Raw Miso Paste
Choko Blended Miso Unpasteurized Naked Barley & Rice Raw Miso Paste is a unique Nagasaki-style miso paste that features a rich blend of barley, rice, and soybeans. This blend creates a flavor profile that differs greatly from typical miso pastes, offering an earthy and robust taste. Barley miso is typically known for being very rich, flavorful, and salty due to a long, traditional aging process.
The addition of barley lends a significant nutty flavor to the miso paste, making it perfect for making hearty and robust soups and stews. This unpasteurized, raw miso paste can be enjoyed in soups, stews, and marinades, but one of the best ways to enjoy this product is to eat it as it is, like a miso dip with vegetable sticks.
Pros
- With nutty barley flavor
- Rich salty for stews and dips
- Long traditional aging process
Cons
- Strong nutty may overpower mild
- Contains alcohol content
Best Red Miso Paste
Tomoe Hokkaido Red Miso Paste Natural Gluten-Free Aka Miso 750g
Tomoe Hokkaido Red Miso Paste offers a bold and flavorful experience, crafted from high-quality soybeans and rice sourced from Hokkaido, a region known for its premium produce. Unlike white miso, red miso contains a higher soybean content and undergoes a longer fermentation process, resulting in a deeper, more intense umami flavor.
This miso is free from additives and alcohol, ensuring that the pure, natural flavor of the miso remains uncompromised, and is made with just non-GMO soybeans, rice, and salt, making it naturally gluten-free and suitable for vegans.
Pros
- Strong flavor for hearty soups
- Gluten-free & vegan
- No additives
- Alcohol-free
Cons
- Longer fermentation bolder taste
Best Soy-Free Miso Paste
Yamazaki Jyozo Soy-Free Rice Miso Paste
Yamazaki Jyozo, a fermented food manufacturer based in Niigata Prefecture, that specializes in producing miso and shoyu products for those with food allergies. They believe that everyone should be able to enjoy the wonderful flavors of miso and shoyu, regardless of allergies.
Rather than soybeans, which is one of the main ingredients of miso, this product is made with genmai brown rice. A combination of the sweetness from rice malt and umami from genmai makes this soy-free miso just as delicious as its soy counterpart. Another note about this soy-free miso is that it is also additive free.
Pros
- Soy-free for allergy safe use
- Sweet rice umami like traditional
- No additives
- Alcohol-free
Cons
- No soy nutrition provided
Best Miso Paste For Soup
Marukome Kyo Kaiseki Premium Miso Paste with Dashi
This miso paste is made by Marukome, an important producer of miso in Japan with more than 160 years of history. This red miso paste is made with high-quality ingredients such as Shinshu red miso, bonito, and kelp extracts.
The main characteristics of the Marukome Kyo Kaseki Miso Paste is that the dashi (broth) is made from quality bonito from Yaezu, mackerel, and kombu (kelp) from Hokkaido which has been added to the slowly matured red miso to bring out a rich flavor and aroma. This dashi-packed miso paste can also be easily turned into miso soup by simply being mixed into hot water and adding your favorite ingredients.
Pros
- Dashi-infused rich aromatic soup
- Mix formula, convenient
Cons
- Contains bonito for non-vegan
- Contains alcohol content
Best Low Sodium Miso Paste
Marukome Ryotei no Aji Miso Paste with Dashi Low Sodium
This best-selling low sodium version of the Ryotei no Aji Miso Paste by Marukome contains high quality red miso paste and a blend of bonito and kombu (kelp) dashi to bring out all the umami flavor. This miso paste is also great for use with ramen noodles. There is also a regular version of this miso paste sold that can be found here.
Pros
- Low sodium highlights pure miso
- Umami dashi boosts ramen dishes
Cons
- Contains bonito for non-vegan
- Contains alcohol content
Best Organic Miso Paste
Yamato Kanae Japanese Organic Miso Paste
Yamato Soy Sauce & Miso is a Japanese fermented food maker located in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture. One of their products, Kanae, is an organic miso paste made without alcohol.
The miso is made with organic certified soybeans and rice harvested in Japan.
It is fermented by a traditional barrel brewing for a whole year without heat sterilizing. This provides extra-rich flavor, and significant umami boost thanks to the enzymes.
Yamato offers miso whose sweetness and robustness are well-balanced. For those who prefer sweet miso paste, please also check out Yamato Miso.
Pros
- Organic year-long barrel ferment
- Enzyme-rich digestive health aid
- Balanced sweet robust flavor
- Alcohol-free
Cons
- Smaller 400g pack size
Best Hatcho Miso Paste
Kakukyu Organic Hatcho Miso Paste
This Organic Hatcho Miso Paste is a traditional mame-miso, or bean miso paste that originated in Aichi prefecture. Hatcho miso is a naturally-fermented soy paste that is made from only soybeans and salt. These ingredients undergo a fermentation process in a wooden barrel. Natural stones are then placed on top of the barrel as a weight, to safely allow the fermentation to continue for two years without interruption. These processes allow the miso to develop an intense umami with a slight sour flavor.
You can of course use this hatcho miso paste to make miso soup, but you can also add it in small amounts to give your dishes a richer flavor. You can experiment by adding it to curry roux, ramen, or even tonkatsu sauce. According to the managing director of Kakukyu, this miso even pairs well with chocolate and milk-based products!
It includes neither wheat nor alcohol, so those with a gluten allergy or those who cannot consume alcohol for health or religious reasons can safely consume this miso paste.
Pros
- 2-year wooden barrel fermentation
- Intense umami sour astringent
- Gluten-free
- Alcohol-free
Cons
- Smaller 300g pack size
- Strong flavor not for beginners
Best Miso Paste For Gut Health
Maruman Mutenka Natural Nama Shiro White Miso Paste
This is a mellow white miso paste carefully made to bring out the original flavors of the raw ingredients. This is a versatile miso paste that can be combined with any dish, but the best way to enjoy it is to make a miso soup with root vegetables and meat or tofu.
Shiro or white miso paste basically has a light yellow color with a taste is often described as mild and sweet. This product is also a raw miso paste – so no heat processing has been used to make it. This keeps the yeast alive, which plays an important role in aiding in digestion and increasing the umami flavor.
Unlike most miso pastes, this one is more suitable for everyone as it does not contain any additives or alcohol.
Pros
- Live yeast mild sweet umami
- Versatile for dressings marinades
- No additive
- Alcohol-free
Cons
- White spots from natural yeast
Which miso paste sparked your interest the most? Let us know in the comments below!
