Cookbook Profile: The Book of Miso

The Book of Miso

by William Shurtleff & Akiko Aoyagi

The Book of Miso
One of Japan's most beloved foods for over a thousand years, miso is a cultured, high-protein seasoning perfectly at home in recipes within and beyond the boundaries of Asian cuisine. Available in a range of flavors, colors, textures, and aromas as varied as that of the world's finest cheeses and wines, miso makes a delicious addition to stocks, stews, dressings, casseroles, and desserts. But miso is much more than a seasoning. Low in sodium and high in protein, vitamin B12, and other essential nutrients, miso is also highly nutritious. Alongside valuable nutritional, cultural, and historical information on this savory soyfood, The Book of Miso includes a bounty of delicious traditional recipes as well as those more familiar to the Western palate.

"Crammed full of historical information, traditional and Western recipes, explicit instructions for homemade miso in Japanese life...." —Library Journal

Most people's first introduction to miso is the warm, comforting soup found in Japanese restaurants. But now, products like miso dressings and miso-seasoned corn chips line supermarket shelves. Between 1975 and 1982, production of miso in the US jumped a remarkable 525%. Available in a range of flavors, colors, and aromas as varied as that of the world's fine cheeses and wines, miso is perfectly at home outside of Asian cuisine. The Book of Miso includes innovative recipes for Quiche Nicoise with Miso, Boston Baked Soybeans with Brown Rice and Miso, and Quick Potato Salad with Miso Dressing as well as traditional Japanese recipes like miso soups and stir-fries.

The Book of Miso contains:

* Over 400 tempting recipes.

* Easy-to-follow instructions for making miso at home and on a community scale.

* An up-to-date directory of miso manufacturers in North America, Latin America, and Europe.

* Over 300 illustrations.

William Shurtleff & Akiko Aoyagi worked together for six years in East Asia, studying with top soyfoods researchers, manufacturers, nutritionists, historians, and cooks. Together they have published 53 books on soyfoods. William lives in Lafayette, California and is currently the director of the Soyfoods Center, which he and Akiko founded in 1976. Akiko is a freelance illustrator and graphic designer in Walnut Creek, California.

Buy the Book!

The Book of Miso
by William Shurtleff & Akiko Aoyagi
Ten Speed Press, 2001
280 pages, $19.95 paper
USBN 1-58008-366-6
Information provided by the publisher.