Miso paste

Start with about a tablespoon per serving, then add a little more if needed. Stir it into a ladleful of hot broth until smooth, and mix it back in; this avoids clumps and keeps the flavour rounded.

No: boiling can dull its aroma. Take the soup off the heat before stirring in the miso, and warm it gently afterwards without letting it bubble.

Warm dashi or vegetable stock with tofu and sliced spring onion. Take it off the heat, dissolve miso paste in a little stock, then stir it into the pan; add wakame if you like.

Keep it tightly covered in the fridge and use a clean spoon each time. Press the surface flat before closing the tub; a darkening surface can be scraped away if the paste otherwise smells and looks normal.

For a savoury, fermented flavour, try a little doenjang or Chinese fermented soybean paste, but use less at first because their saltiness and intensity differ. For a milder substitute, soy sauce adds salt and savouriness but not miso’s body.

Yes, it is concentrated and salty, so taste the dish before adding extra salt or soy sauce. A spoonful stirred into broth can season a whole serving.

Some miso is made with barley or wheat koji, while other types use rice or soy koji. If you need to avoid gluten, choose a paste made without wheat or barley and check its ingredient information.

Yes. It is fermented and ready to eat, so you can whisk a small spoonful into salad dressing, mayonnaise or a dip; cooking is not needed for safety.