Miso
/ˈmiː.soʊ/noun
A thick, salty paste made by fermenting soybeans and often grains with koji, used especially in Japanese cuisine.
Did you know?The ultimate origin of Japanese miso remains debated: scholars have proposed connections with Korean fermented-bean foods, but no single derivation is universally accepted.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient East Asia
Uncertain
—
“Fermented soybean pastes existed in East Asia, but the precise linguistic ancestor of miso is not securely identified.”
8th Century
Old Japanese
misho
“An early Japanese form associated with fermented seasoning or bean paste; its exact interpretation and origin remain debated.”
8th–10th Century
Japanese
味噌
“The written form using Chinese characters meaning approximately “flavor” and “fermented bean paste”; the characters may represent the sound rather than provide a literal etymology.”
Medieval Japan
Japanese
miso
“A fermented paste used as a seasoning and increasingly produced in regional varieties.”
17th–19th Century
Japanese
みそ / 味噌
“A common Japanese culinary term for fermented soybean or grain paste.”
20th Century
English
miso
“An English loanword for the Japanese fermented paste, especially familiar through the phrase “miso soup.””