Can I Have Miso On A Gluten Free Diet? – Our Guide

If you’re cooking a Japanese dish which requires Miso for flavouring, you might be wondering if this fermented food is gluten-free and safe to have if you are gluten intolerant. 

Miso is typically just made from fermented soybeans and salt so is gluten free, however, this can also depend on the brand, with some having additional fermented grains in like wheat.

To help you out, we’ve put together a guide below which will take you through what miso is made from, which brands are gluten free and some Japanese dishes which are not gluten free to watch out for.

What Is Miso Made From? 

Before we get into if Miso is gluten-free, let’s start with what Miso is made from and its nutritional info.

Miso is a thick fermented soybean paste with adzuki beans, and grains such as koji rice, it typically comes in both light and dark types, the lighter the paste the less fermented it is. 

Miso also can come in powder form for making easy Miso soup.

Read more here Is Soybean Oil Gluten Free?

Which Brands Of Miso Are Gluten Free?

Figuring out which ingredients in Miso brands are gluten free isn’t always easy, so to give you a head start, we’ve listed out some gluten free brands of Miso paste below. 

• Hikari miso paste – Hikari makes both red and white miso paste from rice and soybeans and both are gluten free.
• Marukome – Simply rice and soybeans. 
• Clearspring miso paste – This is a white soybean paste which is simply made from soybeans and rice. 
• Roland miso paste – The brands miso paste is a light-colored miso due to short fermentation. 
• Miso master – A white soybean paste made from rice and soybeans.
• Yuho.
• Smart miso – This is certified gluten free containing just soybeans and rice.

Japanese Gluten Friendly & Non-Gluten Friendly Dishes 

Now we’ve covered if modern miso paste is gluten-free, let’s move on to discussing which popular Japanese dishes are gluten free and not gluten free. 

It’s worth noting that a lot of Japanese dishes are not gluten free such as noodles since they contain wheat, for example, Udon noodles are not gluten friendly, and soy sauce can sometimes contain wheat too. Do Egg Noodles Have Gluten? Find out here.

The following dishes below are considered to be gluten free – 

• Mochi. 
• Yakitori with no sauce.
• Tofu. 
• Eggs. 
• Buckwheat soba noodles. 
• Gluten free rice vinegar.
• Gluten free sushi. 
• Onigiri. 

Japanese Foods To Avoid With Gluten

• Yakitori with sauce.
• Soy sauce.
• Takoyaki.
• Unagi.
• Okonomiyaki.

Frequently Asked Questions About Miso & Gluten 

Is barley miso gluten free?

Miso made from barley is not gluten free. You also need to check miso containers for any grains which contain gluten such as fermented barley or wheat.

Is Miso soup vegan?

Yes, Miso soup is vegan and gluten free since it’s simply made from fermented soybeans.

How do I make homemade miso?

To make miso paste you typically need organic soybeans, rice koji, sea salt and filtered water.

You then have to soak the soybeans for around 18 hours, mash and mix them with the rest of their ingredients. The jar will also need to be sanitised with alcohol so that it can ferment without going mouldy, you can do this with Vodka.

What are the ingredients for miso soup?

Miso soup is typically made from dark miso paste or white miso paste, dashi granules, silken tofu, green onion and dried seaweed. Check out this article about Is Seaweed Vegan?

Is rice koji gluten free?

Yes koji is gluten free as long as it does not become cross-contaminated.

Is Miso Master gluten free?

Yes, Miso Master is gluten free and is a white miso paste. The ingredients are soybeans and water.

What does umami flavor mean?

Umami is also known as savoriness, it is typically tasted through both stocks and meats, and you will find it a lot in fermented products too.

Umami is also found in cup noodles, read more here Is Cup Noodle Vegetarian?

Last Words

To conclude, Miso paste is typically gluten-free, however, some mixes contain barley or wheat so you have to double-check the ingredients, Miso paste is normally made out of just soybeans and salt. 

When eating Japanese cuisine, be particularly careful of noodles which can often contain gluten. Soy sauce also contains wheat and should be avoided. Find out here Which Soy Sauce Is Gluten-Free?

Read our next article, Is Ramen Vegetarian?