Miso is some interesting stuff. The first time I tried miso soup, I freaked out a little bit. I was convinced it was made from some kind of meat broth. Fermented food can do that to you if you’re not used to it. I later heard the term described as umami. It’s hard to describe or put your finger on essentially what umami is, but a savory flavor that most of us associate with meat is a good place to start. Anyhow, I’ve been throwing more and more fermented ingredients into my food lately, and miso has made a regular appearance. When I taste test some savory dish and it seems to be missing something, it’s often that hard to pin down umami. I decided it was time to go and make a miso-centric recipe that isn’t soup. (If you are looking for a good soup recipe, try my soba noodle miso soup.) With stir-fries, I have a tendency to go heavy on sweet and spicy flavors. This stir-fry was a bit of a change from that. The sauce is much lighter than my norm. I guess with the lightness of stir-fried veggies I normally feel the urge to compensate, hence the sweet and spicy. In this case I was totally satisfied with a light, savory sauce. Maybe it’s my appetite getting ready for spring. I start to crave lighter foods as the weather warms up, which is apparently happening – I can count at least two nights over the past week that I slept with the window open, and I’ve been a bit sneezy, which always happens around the time the trees start budding. In any event, this dish made a happy little early springtime dinner. It more than made up for the sneezing and the daylight savings lag I’ve been feeling all week.
