Dear food knowledge / 違い

There are many people who eat Japanese food often when they were in Japan, but find it difficult to eat it overseas.

And among them, there are quite a few people who miss miso soup.
Sometimes it's difficult to make miso soup overseas because you don't have the time to make it yourself or you can't find all the ingredients.
Therefore, many people bring instant miso soup from Japan instead of making it themselves.

So, in this article, I wrote about my experience with instant miso soup, so I hope it will be helpful for those who are wondering whether to bring instant miso soup from Japan or looking for it locally.

I will explain the difference between Japanese and European instant miso soup

In fact, some overseas supermarkets sell miso and instant miso soup.
In most cases, the instant miso soup sold there is not made in Japan, and it tastes different from the Japanese ones.

From now on, I will explain what is the difference between these two, focusing on the impressions of actually trying them. (Please note that this is just my personal opinion)

About the difference in taste

Here, I will explain the instant miso soup that the author sold at a nearby supermarket as an example.

This is the instant miso soup that I actually purchased, and the price was around 4 euros for 4 pieces.
Compared to the price in Japan, it feels expensive.

The one I bought was tofu, but there are also wakame seaweed and kimchi.
By the way, kimchi is included in the lineup because it says PRODUCT OF KOREA, so it's probably because it's made in Korea.

Regarding the most important taste, to put it bluntly, there is a sense of incongruity and it does not suit Japanese tastes.
I don't recommend it unless you're really hungry for miso soup, or you don't care about the taste and just want to drink miso soup.

light taste

The reason is that the taste of miso is light in the first place.
When I put it in my mouth, it smelled and tasted like miso, but it wasn't miso I know.

I will explain the ingredients later, but this product was listed as kelp extract.
Of course, there is a possibility that kombu extract means kombu dashi, but it seems that extract and dashi are different in extraction method and ingredients, so it would be better to consider them separately.
If the kombu extract was mixed well with the miso, it would have tasted even better, but unfortunately, it felt like it was falling apart.
It even feels that the kelp extract has a stronger claim than the flavor of miso.

And the peculiar "instant ugliness" came out strongly.
There is a slight tingling sensation in the throat when drinking.
This feeling is not what many people are looking for in miso soup.

In conclusion, if you want to drink it, you can drink it, but it's not at the level where you go out of your way to drink it, and this discomfort makes 4 euros feel expensive.

Appearance and other impressions

If you look at this photo, you will immediately understand the impression of this instant miso soup other than the taste. (I put it in a mug because I don't have a bowl for soup locally)

My first impression was that the packaging was different.
The only thing that is the same is the light shade of miso soup.
First of all, tofu was in this state even though it was written as "tofu".
It looked like dregs such as soybeans in miso.

Wakame is relatively decent, but it will fall apart just by hitting your tongue.
It seems that the package does not contain anything that looks like a green onion.

Also, the reason why the color is light as a whole like the package is that it hardly melts even if you pour hot water on it.
Normally, just pouring hot water over it will loosen it a little, and if you stir it, it will mix well.

In the first place, the contents of miso soup will sink to the bottom if it is not touched for a while, but there was a problem before that.
I could see that it remained solid even when boiling water was poured over it, and it never melted even after mixing and mixing.

The above photo was taken at the moment when the flow almost stopped after stirring vigorously for a while, so it was about 10 seconds after I stopped stirring.
Unfortunately, the contents just spin around and sink when it stops.
Even if it sinks, the main body that fell apart is sinking.
So it doesn't look like miso soup.

As for the packaging, if you are a person like me who buys without looking at the product carefully, you may mistake it for instant tofu and buy it.
I bought it with the intention of adding instant tofu to my miso soup, but I can't deny my disappointment.

It's just that I'm not careful enough about this, but since only tofu is Japanese, if I didn't think about it, someone might make a similar mistake.
If you think you are not careful enough, please be careful when you see this series or similar type products.

Ingredients

I think some people are wondering what is included in this instant miso soup, so I will briefly introduce it.

Miso 57% (soybeans, wheat flour, wheat grains, umami seasoning E621, alcohol, koji), corn syrup, tofu 5% (water, soybeans), gochujang, kelp extract, onion, garlic, dried seaweed, umami seasoning E621, E635

The first thing I thought when I saw this was that the gochujang was the cause of the slight spiciness.
Perhaps this should be regarded as Korean-style miso soup.

lastly

This is my impression of the instant miso soup I bought overseas.
It is better to buy Japanese instant miso soup than to get this quality at this price locally.

Undoubtedly, Japanese instant miso soup is generally rated higher.
If you don't have a Japanese grocery store in your neighborhood but you can't be satisfied with instant miso, or if you want to drink it every day and just bring in instant miso and you want to buy miso, then online shops are very convenient.

Our German-based online shop also carries soy sauce, mirin, and various Japanese food ingredients ranging from table-sized to commercial use, so please take a look.

Miso is a fermented food made by fermenting grains such as soybeans, rice, and barley with salt and koji, and is used in miso soup and various dishes in Japan.

There is not just one type of miso, but there are multiple types depending on the ingredients, taste, and color.
According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the export volume of miso has increased by about 1.6 times over the six years from 2013 to 2019 , and it is expected to continue increasing in the future.

According to the 2019 survey, the United States is the top export destination, accounting for 4,818 tons, followed by Asian countries such as China and Thailand, and it can be seen that Europe is also growing in popularity.
Here, we will introduce the types and differences of Japanese miso, which is showing steady growth in the global food market.

Differences in Japanese miso ingredients

First of all, looking at the ingredients, Japanese miso is classified into four types: rice miso, barley miso, soybean miso, and blended miso.

rice miso

"Rice miso" is made by adding rice malt to soybeans, and 80 % of the miso produced in Japan is this.
It is produced in a wide range from Hokkaido to Shikoku.
Rice miso has a neutral taste, so it goes well with any dish.
And "white miso" is also a kind of rice miso. 

barley miso

Barley miso is made by adding barley malt to soybeans, and is produced mainly in the Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu regions.
It is often made with a relatively low amount of salt and a high proportion of koji, giving it a strong sweetness.

On the other hand, it is said that the large amount of koji makes it easy for fermentation to proceed and discoloration.
The most distinctive feature of barley miso is its aroma, which is more savory and sweet than other types of miso.

Bean miso

"Mame miso" is made only from soybeans and salt, and is produced mainly in the Tokai region.
It is also called “red miso” because it has a reddish dark brown color.
It has less sugar than regular miso, so it is less sweet and salty.
Because soybean miso contains abundant nutrients, it is starting to attract attention in terms of health and beauty, especially among women.

mixed miso

It is a mixture of three or two types of rice miso, barley miso, or soybean miso.
Mixed miso can be combined in a wide variety of ways, such as light-colored ones, black ones, wheat-based ones, and rice-based ones. increase.

Regional Characteristics of Japanese Miso

Next, let's take a look at the regional characteristics of miso in Japan.
From Hokkaido to Kyushu, the miso used varies from region to region, and there is also something called “local miso”.

Hokkaido

Red-based medium-spicy miso is typical, but in recent years white miso seems to be popular.
Typical Hokkaido dishes that use miso include “Ishikari nabe” and “miso ramen.”

 Hokkaido miso

Spicy rice miso. It is characterized by its low salt content and moderately spicy taste.

Tohoku region

Red and spicy rice miso is the mainstream.
Standard dishes that use miso include scallop grilled miso (Aomori), squid monpeyaki (Akita), and donko soup (Miyagi). 

Tsugaru miso (Aomori)

It is also called “Tsugaru Sannen Miso”.
Although it is dry, it is mellow in the mouth because it is aged for a long time.

Akita miso (Akita)

Because it uses a lot of rice malt from Akita, a rice-growing region, it has a dry yet natural sweetness.

Sendai miso (Miyagi)

It is a traditional dry red miso that Date Masamune established a miso factory called Oensogura during the Sengoku period.

Hokuriku region

Since it used to be an area of ​​exchange that connected Tohoku and Kansai, light-colored and dry rice miso that has the characteristics of both is the mainstream.
A classic dish that uses miso is the lotus root dumpling soup (Ishikawa).

Kaga Miso (Ishikawa)

A dry red miso with a relatively high salt content.

• Koushinetsu region

Light-colored to red dry rice miso is the mainstream.
Gohei-mochi (Nagano) is a standard dish that uses miso.

Echigo Miso (Niigata)

Spicy rice miso. It is also called uki koji miso because the rice grains look like they are floating in the miso. 

Shinshu miso (Nagano)

Boasting the largest production volume in Japan. This miso is characterized by its light color, dry taste, and faintly sour aroma.

Kanto region

In northern Kanto, there is a dry barley miso called “inaka miso”, but in the Kanto region as a whole, dry rice miso is the mainstream.
Miso dengaku (Tokyo) is a classic dish that uses miso.

Edo Sweet Miso (Tokyo )

It has a deep reddish brown color because it uses steamed soybeans, and has a rich sweetness due to the high proportion of rice malt. 

• Tokai region

Shizuoka produces rice miso, but Aichi, Mie, and Gifu produce soybean miso.
A standard dish that uses miso is “Miso Nikomi Udon (Aichi)”.

Tokai soybean miso (Aichi, Mie, Gifu)

It is also called Nagoya miso, Sanshu miso, and Hatcho miso. It is characterized by its rich umami and astringency.

• Kansai region

White miso with a high proportion of rice malt is characterized by its strong sweetness.
Due to its low salt content, it is a short-term aging type.
A classic dish that uses miso is "Saikyo-zuke".

Kansai white miso

The color is an elegant golden color because soybeans boiled with the skin removed and highly polished rice are used.

• Chugoku region

On the Seto Inland Sea side, barley miso is produced, on the Sea of ​​Japan side, light-colored dry miso is produced, and on the Seto Inland Sea side of the Kansai region, white, sweet rice miso is produced.
A classic dish that uses miso is oyster hotpot (Hiroshima).

Fuchu Miso (Hiroshima)

Cream-colored sweet miso made from peeled soybeans. 

• Shikoku region

The Seto Inland Sea side is slightly white, while the Pacific Ocean side is red.
Anmochizoni (Kagawa) is a standard dish that uses miso.

Sanuki miso (Kagawa)

It is one of the representative white sweet miso with rich sweetness. 

• Kyushu region

Barley miso is the mainstream, but around Fukuoka, miso made with rice and barley is the mainstream.
A classic dish that uses miso is "cold soup (Miyazaki)." 

Kyushu barley miso

It has a high proportion of barley koji, a slightly low salt content and a strong sweetness.

Miso handled by Dear foods

Our online shop also handles various miso.
We are based in Germany and offer free shipping for purchases over €50, so please take a look.

The staple food in Japan is rice. Rice is such a favorite among many Japanese that it can be said that they eat it at least once a day.
Rice is highly versatile and can be used not only for Japanese cuisine but also for Western cuisine such as paella. 

Japanese rice has been distributed in Japan for a long time, but due to recent globalization, it has become easier to handle foreign ingredients, so rice from other countries is also being distributed.
One of them is jasmine rice.

Great commentary comparing jasmine rice, which is often seen in Germany, with Japanese rice!

Especially if you live in Germany or Europe, it's the exact opposite of Japan, and you won't find Japanese rice in stores.

On the other hand, there are several types of rice sold in supermarkets, but one of the common rice is jasmine rice.
If you live in Germany, you will often see this rice, but in this article, we will look at the characteristics and differences between Japanese rice and jasmine rice.

Types of Japanese rice

First, there are multiple varieties of Japanese rice.
Among them, we will introduce representative brand rice.

Koshihikari

It is the most cultivated rice in Japan and is a representative brand of rice in Japan.
Sweetness and stickiness are strong, and the fragrance is a very good breed.

It is produced in a wide range of areas, including Niigata Prefecture, and there are differences in taste and stickiness depending on the production area.
The reason for its popularity is that it has a strong umami flavor, so it goes well with any side dish, whether Japanese or Western.

Hitomebore

It is the second most cultivated rice in Japan.
It is produced in the Tohoku and Kanto regions, mainly in Miyagi Prefecture.

It is resistant to cold and can grow well even in cold climates such as the Tohoku region. Compared to Koshihikari, it is slightly larger and stickier, and is said to be delicious even when cold.

Hinohikari

It is the third most cultivated rice in Japan.
It is produced in various regions, mainly in western Japan, including Oita Prefecture.

My father has Koshihikari, and the texture and flavor are similar to Koshihikari, but it seems that it can be purchased cheaper than Koshihikari.
This rice is said to be especially suitable for western food.

Characteristics of Japanese rice

The characteristic of Japanese rice is that it is elastic and becomes sticky when heated.
Rice grains are long and elliptical in shape, and are generally boiled in a rice cooker after being thoroughly polished.

Recently, there is also a type of rice called “rinse-free rice” that can be cooked in a rice cooker without being polished. rice is recommended.
You can adjust the amount of water to maintain the same level of deliciousness whether hardened or soft.

Also, since all varieties of Japanese rice have a sweet taste, you can fully enjoy the taste of the rice alone.
It goes very well with seaweed and salt, so it's often eaten as a light meal.

Dishes that go well with Japanese rice

So far, we have looked at the varieties and characteristics of each Japanese rice.
So what kind of Japanese food does Japanese rice actually go well with?

sushi

Japanese rice and vinegar go well together, so you can add vinegar to Japanese rice to make sushi rice, top it with seafood to make chirashizushi, or add natto or green onion to make sushi rolls.

cooked rice

Meat, vegetables, and seasonings are mixed and cooked in a rice cooker with rice.
Japanese rice is often eaten on its own with other side dishes, but it is also recommended to add flavor to the rice itself.

Characteristics of jasmine rice

Jasmine rice is a type of Thai rice and is the highest quality rice in Thailand.
Because the whiteness of the fir tree resembles jasmine, and because it has a sweet grain-specific aroma when cooked, it is called "Khao Hong Mali" in Thai, meaning "fragrant rice". increase.

The rice grains are more elongated than Japanese rice and do not need to be polished.
The reason for this seems to be that if you grind it like Japanese rice, the fragrance component will be lost.
After lightly rinsing the rice, cook it in a rice cooker.

Jasmine rice has a high water penetration rate and if it is soaked in water for a long time, the rice will be chipped, so when cooking with a rice cooker, it is necessary to turn on the switch immediately without specifying the time.
For cooking, you can choose the quick cooking course.
Also, the amount of rice and water should be the same.

Food that goes well with jasmine rice

As mentioned above, jasmine rice is different from Japanese rice in terms of shape and features.
However, jasmine rice has dishes that take advantage of its characteristics.
Below are some delicious dishes that can be made using jasmine rice.

Khao Man Gai

One of the most popular dishes in Japan is the Thai dish "Khao Man Gai".
By the way, it is called " Hainanese chicken rice " in Chinese, and some people may have seen this name.

It is a dish that is eaten with boiled chicken and rice cooked with boiling water, and is a representative dish of Thailand.
The unique aroma of jasmine rice and its low stickiness go well with the broth, making it a popular dish for many people.

green curry

This is also a popular dish at Japanese curry restaurants and Thai restaurants.
It is a green curry with spices, also known as "Thai curry".
It contains more water than the curry commonly eaten in Japan, and is characterized by its soup-like smoothness.
It also has a strong spiciness because it contains various spices and herbs. 

Difference between Japanese rice and jasmine rice

Japanese rice is plump and sweet after it is cooked, so you can eat it by itself without seasoning.
Another characteristic of Japanese rice is that it can be eaten in different shapes like onigiri.
Because of its ease of handling, it is suitable for all genres of cuisine, from Japanese to Western and ethnic dishes.

On the other hand, jasmine rice is generally eaten with other ingredients for flavor, so it is less versatile than Japanese rice.
However, it can be said that it is a rice that goes well with ethnic dishes that make use of its unique flavor.

Mayonnaise is a staple seasoning at home. Mayonnaise is used in a variety of dishes and is loved by many people in Japan, but of course Germany also has mayonnaise. However, even with the same name mayonnaise, Japanese and German mayonnaise do not taste exactly the same.

What is the difference between Japanese and German mayonnaise? I compared this seasoning that is often used in both countries. 

What is the difference between Japanese and German mayonnaise?

 

German supermarket mayonnaise

In the dressing section of German supermarkets, there are a variety of mayonnaise, from famous manufacturers such as Thomy to private brands of each supermarket. The container is completely different from Japanese mayonnaise, and there are three main types: a long and thin aluminum tube, a plastic bottle, and a glass bottle. Furthermore, if you look at the product labels, you will find that there are several varieties that look similar, such as Delikatessmayonnaise , Mayonnaise , Salatmayonnaise , Remoulade , and Salatcreme . understand. What are the differences?
 

types of german mayonnaise 

According to European regulations on mayonnaise, mayonnaise is an emulsified seasoning made from egg yolk and edible vegetable oil, with fat accounting for 70% or more of the total weight and egg yolk accounting for 5% or more. It is made by adding vinegar or lemon juice.

Among them, mayonnaise with value-added characteristics such as using oil of higher quality than ordinary mayonnaise or having a significantly higher egg yolk content can claim the name delicatessen mayonnaise .

Salad mayonnaise is a mayonnaise-type condiment made from egg yolk and edible vegetable oil, and is at least 50% fat.

And remoulade is mayonnaise or salad mayonnaise with herbs and chopped herbs and is at least 50% fat. Common ingredients include parsley, chervil, chives, tarragon, pepper, capers, mustard, onions, and pickles.

Salad cream refers to those with less fat content than salad mayonnaise. Although there is no specific regulation, it seems that there are many products with 15% to 35% .

By the way, according to the food labeling standards based on the Food Labeling Law, mayonnaise in Japan is defined as ``a semi-solid dressing that uses egg yolk or whole egg, and contains essential ingredients such as egg yolk, egg white, protein hydrolyzate, salt, sugar, It does not use raw materials or additives other than honey, spices, seasonings (amino acids, etc.), acidulants and spice extracts, and the weight ratio of edible vegetable oil to the raw materials and additives is 65. more than a percentage” * .

Comparison of Japanese and German Mayonnaise: Differences in Ingredients and Flavors

Japanese mayonnaise and German mayonnaise may differ in taste depending on the manufacturer and brand, but German mayonnaise is generally lighter, less sour and sweeter than Japanese mayonnaise.

It is often used in salads with vegetables, but in Germany, the most common use for mayonnaise is french fries.
It's common in Germany to eat heaps of potatoes with ketchup as well as mayonnaise at markets, festival stalls, and restaurants.
German sweet mayonnaise goes well with freshly fried potato fries.

 

However, many Japanese seem to feel unsatisfied with the difference in taste when using this German mayonnaise in Japanese recipes.
Let's compare the ingredients of Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise and Germany's representative THOMY delicatessen mayonnaise.

First of all, according to Kewpie's website, the raw materials of Kewpie mayonnaise are as follows. 

Edible vegetable oil (manufactured in Japan), egg yolk, brewed vinegar, salt, spices/seasonings (amino acids), spice extracts, (contains some eggs, soybeans, and apples)

The ingredients of Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise sold in Germany are more detailed than those on the website. Vegetable oils and fats contain rapeseed and soybeans, which account for 70% of the total weight, and egg yolks account for 14% . Weight is stated.

On the other hand, THOMY 's delicatessen mayonnaise

Sunflower oil 80% , alcohol vinegar, egg yolk 6.2% , mustard seeds, spices, iodized salt, sugar

can be confirmed on the website.
In other words, you can see that THOMY 's mayonnaise, which is common in Germany, has a higher oil content than Kewpie mayonnaise, but has a lower proportion of egg yolk, and the vinegar used is also more sour.

Especially if you use German mayonnaise for a dish that uses a lot of mayonnaise, such as potato salad, you may be disappointed that the taste is not what you expected. You can add sourness with vinegar or lemon juice, but it will be difficult to make up for the richness of Japanese mayonnaise. If you want to enjoy familiar tastes in Germany, it might be a good idea to use Japanese mayonnaise for Japanese recipes. 

Japanese mayonnaise you can buy in Germany

So, what kind of Japanese mayonnaise can you buy in Germany?
You can buy mayonnaise from multiple brands at Japanese grocery stores in towns where there are many Japanese living in Germany.
However, Kewpie mayonnaise is the most commonly found Japanese mayonnaise in Asian food stores that carry products not only from Japan, but also from South Korea, China, and Thailand.

However, since it is an Asian shop with ingredients from various countries, there are times when Kewpie mayonnaise not only made in Japan but also made for Thailand and Vietnam is sold.
Even with the same Kewpie mayonnaise, there are differences in the ingredients depending on the target country, and the taste will change slightly, so it is recommended that you check the back of the package before purchasing.

Also, at our German-based online shop , we carry Japanese mayonnaise, soy sauce, mirin, and a wide range of other Japanese food ingredients, from table-sized sizes to commercial-use items.