How David Chang Really Feels About Miso From The US
When it comes to American miso, celebrity chef and restaurateur David Chang isn't its biggest fan. In fact, as he revealed in a video shared to YouTube, he feels that "the miso in America sucks." Although Chang, while introducing viewers to corn miso in the clip, later withdrew the sentiment, stating that it was perhaps too harsh, he proceeded to call the American-made creation "crap" because of its high sodium content.
As the video continued, Chang was seen describing his trick for diluting the salty taste of American-made miso with butter before showcasing the creation of his popular corn dish. As he shared, Chang does not add any salt to the dish because of the high amounts that are concentrated within the miso itself.
Chang is the owner of New York City's Momofuku Noodle Bar, which has been described, by The Infatuation, as the ramen equivalent of going to Disney World, but actually sells more corn miso in the summer when local corn is harvested.
American miso versus Japanese miso, according to David Chang
Chang doesn't mean to offend American miso producers with his criticism of miso made in the United States. However, he does stress that miso harvested in the country pales in comparison to the Shiro Miso, or white miso, that you can find in Japan. Japanese Shiro Miso is fermented for a short period of time, but is known to be mild and sweet in taste, according to HuffPost. This drastically differs from Chang's description of American miso, which is extremely salty.
But unless you live near a market that sells Japanese miso, you might have to settle for American miso. And as with other foods, the taste of miso does differ depending on where it's grown, which you also don't have control over (via Lacademie.com). Luckily, thanks to Chang's informative video, you can tone down the salty taste of your American-made miso with butter to cut out, or reduce, the salty flavor.