The history of Chinese miso and why a Hong Kong version is so special

Forget Japanese miso soup, the Chinese have been making miso for over 2,000 years and some of the best can be had in Hong Kong

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A ladle of partly fermented bean paste at Hong Kong sauce maker Yuet Wo, which makes fresh, unpasteurised miso. The process of making Chinese miso is simpler than that for Japanese miso, Yuet Wo’s owner says. Photo: Lisa Cam

Published: 4:15pm, 20 Jun 2025Updated: 5:22pm, 20 Jun 2025

When it comes to miso, the first thing that comes to mind may be the fermented bean paste used in the well-known Japanese miso soup. The Chinese, however, have also long fermented soybeans, creating a similar ingredient known as fermented bean sauce.

The use of soybeans was already prominent by the time of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China and the founder of the Qin dynasty (221BC-207BC), but it was in the Shiji – also known as the Records of the Grand Historian – written by historian Sima Qian around 100BC, where trade in fermented bean paste, or “yellow sauce”, was first mentioned.

By contrast, miso has been a part of Japanese cuisine since at least the seventh century AD, though its origins are unclear. Some theories suggest it came from China or Korea and was later introduced to Japan.

While the paste may have roots elsewhere, miso soup – a Japanese creation – is believed to have emerged during the Kamakura period (1185–1333).

Fermented bean paste (right) at Hong Kong sauce maker Yuet Wo, in Sheung Shui. Photo: Yuet Wo

Most commercial miso in Japan is made with a mix of soybeans and rice, sometimes with barley or seaweed added in. Traditionally, it is made just with soybeans, which are washed, steamed and shaped into balls by hand before koji mould, derived from rice, is added to induce fermentation.

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