Japanese Fermented Foods Guide  ·  Koji · Miso · Shoyu · Pickles

Sendai Miso (Miyagi) (仙台味噌)

A red rice miso from Sendai, traditionally made as a keeping miso - strongly savoury and built for long storage.

TypeRice miso, red, comparatively strong and salty
PlaceSendai, Miyagi Prefecture
BackgroundTradition in Sendai links its miso-making to the Date clan's provisioning in the early Edo period

Sendai miso was made to keep: a higher salt level and long maturation in wooden barrels gave armies and households a paste that survived storage, and the modern style keeps that robust character - red, firm and deeply savoury.

It is the miso of a hearty soup that stands up to root vegetables and oily fish. Blended into awase it adds backbone; used alone it wants dilution and strong ingredients rather than delicate ones.

See also

Red and awase miso
Related page in this guide.
Rice miso
Related page in this guide.

Sources: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), 'Traditional Foods in Japan'; JAS soy sauce standards; Umami Information Center; Kikkoman official information; Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Checked 6 November 2026.

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