In Japanese cuisine, some of the most important ingredients don’t just add flavor — they come alive. Miso, soy sauce, and pickles are staples in the Japanese diet, and all of them share one key characteristic: they are fermented.
These foods do more than satisfy the taste buds — they preserve ingredients, aid digestion, and connect modern kitchens to centuries of culinary tradition.
Index
🥣 Miso: More Than Just Soup
When people think of miso, they often imagine miso soup. And that’s not wrong — it’s a staple of Japanese breakfasts and dinners alike. But miso is far more than just a soup base.
Miso is a fermented soybean paste made from:
- Soybeans
- Koji “a mold-inoculated grain, usually rice or barley“
- Salt
The fermentation process can take weeks to years, depending on the type. The longer it ferments, the darker and more intense the flavor becomes.
🟤 Types of Miso
- Aka Miso “Red Miso“: Long-fermented, strong flavor, popular in eastern Japan.
- Shiro Miso “White Miso”: Mild and slightly sweet, widely used in Kyoto and western Japan.
- Awase Miso: A mix of red and white miso, used in many households across Japan.
Foreign visitors are often surprised by the variation — a light, sweet miso soup in Kyoto might taste completely different from the deeper, saltier version in Tokyo. This isn’t just regional pride — it’s the result of climate, local taste, and tradition.
I thought miso was just miso. I didn’t expect it to taste so different city to city!
Miso
🧪 Soy Sauce: The Backbone of Japanese Flavor
Soy sauce “shoyu” is probably the most recognized Japanese condiment worldwide. But again, not all soy sauces are the same.
Like miso, soy sauce is fermented from:
- Soybeans
- Wheat
- Koji
- Salt and water
It undergoes a long fermentation process, often six months or more. The result is a complex, umami-rich liquid that enhances everything from grilled meat to raw sashimi.
🍶 Types of Japanese Soy Sauce
- Koikuchi “Dark Soy Sauce”: The most common, used in about 80% of households.
- Usukuchi “Light Soy Sauce“: Lighter in color but saltier, used in Kansai cuisine.
- Tamari: Made with little to no wheat, thicker and less salty — often gluten-free.
- Saishikomi: A richer double-brewed soy sauce used in high-end dishes.
Each region and dish may call for a different type, and these subtle differences are something many first-time visitors begin to notice after staying in Japan for a while.
Soy Sauce
🥒 Tsukemono: The Pickled Side Dish That Completes the Meal
Pickles — or tsukemono — are often seen as a simple garnish, but in Japanese cuisine, they’re an essential part of the dining experience. They offer contrast, refreshment, and even digestive support.
There are dozens of types, made with:
- Salt “shiozuke“
- Rice bran “nukazuke“
- Soy sauce “shoyuzuke”
- Vinegar “suzuke“
- Miso “misozuke“
Pickled daikon, cucumbers, eggplant, and even garlic are all common. Some are crunchy, some are soft, and others — like fermented “takuan” — are strong and aromatic.
They’re not just delicious — many of them are rich in probiotics, which promote gut health. In fact, it’s often said that the Japanese digestive system is so healthy because of the regular intake of fermented foods like these.
Tsukemono
🐯 A Small Surprise: What’s with the Sweet Miso?
One foreign friend of mine once picked up a pack of Kyoto-style white miso at a supermarket, expecting the usual savory punch. Instead, she got something sweet — almost dessert-like.
“I thought I bought soup paste, but it tastes like icing!”
This kind of unexpected sweetness in savory foods is part of what makes Japanese cuisine so fascinating — it reflects a deep respect for balance, even when it challenges expectations.
🍱 Conclusion
Fermented foods are not a trend in Japan — they’re a foundation. From centuries-old barrels of miso to the pickles passed down from generation to generation, these foods are alive, both literally and culturally.
They connect people to the land, to family recipes, and to the values of balance, moderation, and seasonal awareness. And in a world where food is often rushed or overprocessed, that connection feels more valuable than ever.
P.S.
In this article, we discussed fermented foods.
Every country has foods that are fermented, and I am sure it must have taken a lot of guts for the first person to try to eat them…. Natto, which I love, is also made from fermented soybeans, but I often hear that even in Japan, people in Kansai do not like it, and it seems that many people overseas do not like it either(lol)
またね(Matane)!
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