Soy sauce and bean paste are two basic flavorings of Japanese cuisine. Both are made from soybeans. Soy sauce (shoyu) is made by fermenting soybeans with water, salt, and yeast Soy sauce is used in cooking and as a condiment when food is served. Miso is made by mixing steamed, mashed soybeans with salt and yeast (koji), a fermenting agent. Koji is made by adding kojikin to different types of grains. Kome miso is made with rice koji. Mugi miso is made with barley. The mixture is aged in large wooden barrels. Miso varies in color from a golden yellow to a dark brownish red. It also varies in saltiness, consistency and aroma. It is of course used in making miso soup. It is also used in cooking or marinating fish. Miso is also used in making pickled vegetables (tsukemono). Miso originally came from China and was used as medicine among the nobility. In the Kamakura period, the custom of having “one soup and one dish” became common among the warrior class. As a result, miso soup became common. If asked to make a list of “good old home cooking,” most Japanese would put miso soup at the top of the list.