HISTORY OF MISO, SOYBEAN JIANG (CHINA), JANG (KOREA) AND TAUCO TAOTJO (INDONESIA) (200 B.C.2009)

Brief Chronology of Miso, Soybean Jiang (China), Jang (Korea), and Tauco Taotjo (Indonesia) Miso, or “fermented soybean paste,” is one of East Asia’s most important soyfoods. Miso is an allpurpose highprotein seasoning, which has no counterpart among Western foods or seasonings. Made from soybeans, rice or barley, and salt, its smooth or chunky texture resembles that of soft peanut butter. It comes in a wide range of warm, earthy colors ranging from light yellows to rusty reds, rich chocolate browns, or loamy blacks. Each miso has its own distinctive flavor and aroma, which for the darker, more traditional varieties is savory, and sometimes almost meaty, while for the lightercolored types is subtly sweet and delicately refreshing. Miso’s range of flavors and colors, textures and aromas, is at least as varied as that of the world’s fine wines or cheeses. Today miso is made by a small number of companies in the United States, Canada, and Europe, and (as miso or miso products) is widely available at supermarkets, naturaland health food stores, and Asian stores. 200 B.C. (approx.) Soybean jiang is first mentioned in China in the Wushi’er Bing Fang Prescriptions for FiftyTwo Ailments. 544 A.D. The Qimin Yaoshu (W.G. Ch’i Min Yao Shu), by Jia Sixie in China gives the first detailed descriptions of making soybean jiang and other soyfoods. 701 Soybean hishio, miso, and soy nuggets start to be made in Japan by the Hishio Tsukasa, a government bureau. Reference to this is found in documents published between 730 and 748. 90108 The modern word for miso first appears in Japan in the Sandai Jitsuroku. 927 The Engi Shiki gives the first details about the production of soybean hishiomiso in Japan. 1597 Miso is first mentioned by a Westerner, the Florentine Francesco Carletti; he calls it misol. 1712 Englebert Kaempfer, a German who lived in Japan, is the first European to give detailed descriptions of how miso and shoyu are made in Japan. Also mentions koji. 1727 Miso is first mentioned in an Englishlanguage publication, The History of Japan, by E. Kaempfer. He spells it “Midsu, a mealy Pap, which they dress their Victuals withal, as we do butter.”