White Miso (Shiro Miso) (白味噌)
Pale, sweet miso with a high share of koji and a short maturation - the mildest end of the miso shelf.
| Colour and taste | Cream to pale gold; sweet and mild, the least salty-tasting of the main types |
|---|---|
| How it is made | A high koji ratio and a short maturation (weeks rather than months or years) keep it pale and sweet |
| Named example | Saikyo miso of Kyoto is the classic named white miso |
'White' miso is a colour and taste class, not a separate ingredient list: it is rice miso in which koji makes up a large share and aging is stopped early, before the paste darkens. The result spreads easily, dissolves fast and sweetens soups and dressings.
In export shops, 'white miso' and 'shiro miso' labels usually mean this class. It suits light miso soup, dressings (with vinegar, as sumiso) and glazes where a dark miso would overpower. Because it is mild, cooks often use a little more of it than of a red miso - adjust by taste, not by swapping spoon for spoon.
See also
Saikyo misoRelated page in this guide.Substitutions: what works
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.