Ingredient spotlight: miso

How to use miso in your everyday cooking

I don't remember when miso received a permanent spot on my fridge shelf. However, I do remember the time cookbook author Nancy Singleton Hachisu brought me four wildly different misos from an artisan she likes in Japan, and it took me about five years to use them up.

This, my friends, is one of the first things to know about miso: It doesn't generally "go bad." It may darken or dry out a bit. But it will remain edible indefinitely, especially when refrigerated. 

So, yes, the miso that might be languishing in the back of your fridge is still good to use. 

But first, what is miso?