Editing Miso soup (section)

== Preparation and serving ==
[[File:Aka-Dashi 001.jpg|thumb|Red miso soup with [[tofu]] and [[nameko]] mushrooms]]
[[File:Mixed beef croquette lunch of Yoshinoya.jpg|thumb|Miso soup is usually part of a Japanese ''teishoku'' (meal set), shown here with rice, fried ''[[Japanese jack mackerel|aji]]'', ''[[korokke]]'' and ''[[karaage]]]]
Miso soup can be prepared in several ways, depending on the chef and the style of soup. Japanese recipes usually call for most vegetables to be cooked in the simmering ''dashi'', particularly mushrooms, daikon, carrots, potatoes, tofu, and fish. There is a common myth that when miso paste is heated, the microorganisms are killed and the health benefits are reduced, but this is incorrect. In fact, the health benefits are due to nutrients produced by enzymes produced during the miso making process, not the bacteria in miso that directly benefit health.<ref>{{cite news |last1=murai |first1=Yuichiro |title=The idea that "enzymes die when miso soup is heated" is a double misunderstanding... The real reason why fermented foods are good for your health |url=https://president.jp/articles/-/80612?page=5}}</ref>

In Japan, miso soup and white [[rice]] make up the central dishes of the traditional Japanese breakfast. The soup has been a favorite of commoners and royalty alike for many centuries, but there are also many other dishes involving breakfast. They are all quite small, some include egg, fish, and [[nattō]] which is a fermented soybean. The soup is usually served in [[lacquer]] [[bowl]]s with lids and drunk directly from the bowl, though the solid ingredients are eaten with [[chopsticks]]. The bowl sometimes has a lid to keep heat and aroma in as well as to improve the presentation.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Matsune |first1=Kaz |title=Why Is Miso Soup Sometimes Served With a Lid? |url=https://slate.com/human-interest/2016/10/why-is-miso-soup-sometimes-served-with-a-lid.html |work=Slate |date=21 October 2016 }}</ref>

=== Instant miso soup ===
[[File:Asage(Instant miso soup).jpg|thumb|Instant miso soup]]
Instant miso soup is available in single-serving packets. It is usually sold in dehydrated powder and paste forms, though it is sometimes also sold [[Freeze-drying|freeze dried]]. It generally contains dried toppings such as wakame and tofu with soybeans that reconstitute rapidly on the addition of hot water.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://matcha-jp.com/en/849|title=A Great Souvenir! Learn How To Make Instant Miso Soup|website=MATCHA - JAPAN TRAVEL WEB MAGAZINE|language=en|access-date=2018-12-14|archive-date=2018-12-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214164619/https://matcha-jp.com/en/849|url-status=live}}</ref> These are popular in the Japanese workplace, where miso soup can be made with lunch as easily as green tea and using the same water. Instant miso soup is available in many grocery stores outside Japan. It has a shelf life of 3 to 12 months.

===''Wappani''===
{{nihongo||わっぱ煮|''Wappani''}}, a miso-soup-based dish, is unique to [[Awashimaura, Niigata|Awashima island]] off the coast of [[Niigata Prefecture|Niigata]], [[Japan]]. A cedar flask (''{{ill|wappa|ja|わっぱ)|quote=y}}'') is filled with miso soup, fish and vegetables. It is then heated by dropping in hot rocks, which quickly brings it to a simmer. Hot rocks retain their heat for hours after being taken from the fire, so a hot meal can be prepared without the use of fire.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://kyoudo-ryouri.com/en/food/601.html|title=Wappani - 【郷土料理ものがたり】|website=kyoudo-ryouri.com|access-date=2018-12-14|archive-date=2018-12-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214164159/http://kyoudo-ryouri.com/en/food/601.html|url-status=live}}</ref>