20 Comments
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Jack Whalen's avatar

Love cardamom. Love banana. Love cake. A triple play here!

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Jack Whalen's avatar

Oh, love miso too

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Jenny Rosenstrach's avatar

This looks so good!

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Maria (Linnesby essays)'s avatar

”…fika can't be so-called without the warmth of good company.” Yes, captures it perfectly! Thanks for this and for the wonderful-looking recipe.

A really stupid question, from a cooking ignoramous: what is the best way to get miso in Sweden?

Or rather: is the shelf-stable miso that is all I can find in the grocery stores the same as the refrigerated miso that I'm more used to?

Please don't worry if you don't have time to reply — just saw this and it raised the question yet again…

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Wil Reidie's avatar

By the way, there's no such thing as a stupid question. Also, that shelf stable miso is just miso, absolutely the same. You just put it in fridge to conserve it after opening. There are a few different types of miso white miso and red miso most common. White is most common and slighter and sweeter. Both are shelf stable products and readily available in Swedish supermarkets (I used to live in Stockholm so I promise you can find it in larger supermarkets at least)

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Maria (Linnesby essays)'s avatar

Oh, thank you so much! I do see the shelf-stable version even in my rural supermarket (it comes from Brazil, a little surprisingly), but have hesitated to use it simply because I was only familiar with refrigerated (and am a cooking ignoramous). Have wanted to make miso soup but wasn't sure if one would cook differently with the shelf-stable kind.

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Wil Reidie's avatar

I know the brand you're talking about, I used to buy it when I lived in Stockholm. You're good, that brand is totally fine. There is miso paste and miso soup powder but paste is the real deal. Miso paste is a fermented product which makes it shelf stable (but by all means refrigerate after opening as you would most things.)

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Maria (Linnesby essays)'s avatar

Oh, I see! It's been decades since I made miso soup regularly, and my memory was that the paste always came from the fridge in the grocery store. But maybe it just went into the fridge after opening. This is a great help — will go out and buy that miso now! And maybe make this banana bread first and invite folks for fika 😊. Thank you!

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Maria (Linnesby essays)'s avatar

So thanks again for replying!

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Wil Reidie's avatar

Thank you! And thanks so much for checking out my newsletter.

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Jen L.'s avatar

Thank you! Sounds perfect. Will give it a go!

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Ed Waltz's avatar

This is going into my Need-to-Make list. Thank you, Chef.

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Sheryl O'Connell's avatar

The recipe I don’t know I needed in our lives. Thank you - this is a keeper.

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Mary's avatar

Going to make this tomorrow! I have 4 brown speckled bananas and white miso in my pantry!

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Wil Reidie's avatar

You'll love it. But be sure to let it sit wrapped in cling film for a few days as well. It gets so much better.

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Mary's avatar

Made it. Love it! Waited but it was hard.

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Wil Reidie's avatar

Ah, how awesome. Thanks, Mary! Believe me, it really does get better and better!!

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Ofifoto's avatar

I have a banana bread recipe that has stood the test of time and never disappoints, but I think it may have some competition. Thank you for the reminder to read your older posts, Wil.

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Wil Reidie's avatar

I'm going to write an index so all the recipes I've shared are easier to find. Never done that before and I think it's a missed opportunity because as you know, many recipes I love are kinda hidden in my essays!

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Ofifoto's avatar

Fabulous idea!

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