First recorded in 1720–30; from Japanese, probably from dialectal Korean, equivalent to Korean meju “soybean malt”
< Greek, combining form of mīseîn to hate, mîsos hatred
Miso is a salty, fermented paste that's used in Japanese food. Miso soup and rice is a very common daily meal in Japan. The most common use for miso is in delicious, brothy soup, but it's also an ingredient in some kinds of ramen, pickles, and a sweet glaze for fish and vegetables. There are even Japanese desserts that call for miso. To make this versatile paste, soybeans are fermented with salt and other ingredients, sometimes including rice, seaweed, or fish. The root of miso is unknown, although it may derive from the Korean myècwú, a similar soybean-based sauce.
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Soy foods include tofu, soy milk, edamame, tempeh, and miso.
From Science Daily • May 26, 2026
Along with the classics, the shop also offers bagels imbued with ingredients like saffron, Korean gochujang and miso.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
Coffee pecan torte, spiced pear sponge with miso caramel.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
Brothy things Soups that feel restorative rather than heavy: miso, chicken broth, vegetable soups with plenty of herbs and lemon.
From Salon • Mar. 9, 2026
When the miso was ready—complete with grasshopper bits in the broth the sensei led the children in a song.
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
