To Give Hot Chocolate a Major Upgrade, Try Adding Miso

Hot chocolate is my number-one winter essential. Everyone has their favorite way to enjoy this sweet, velvety beverage. For some it’s adding a splash of red wine, for others it’s stirring in some Nutella, or perhaps a box of brownie mix. For me, it doesn’t matter whether I start with a pile of chopped dark chocolate or powder from a packet, when I want to give my mug a serious boost, I reach for the tub of miso paste in my fridge.

Yes, this is the same umami-rich miso paste you use for making a pot of miso soup. It’s also great in veggie burgers and noodles. I’m a strong believer that there’s a place for miso in almost every dish, and that includes sweets, like hot chocolate and cocoa. In fact, I’ve been whisking it in for years.

Have you ever eaten a salted caramel or put a pinch of salt on fresh watermelon? If so, you know how delicious sweet foods can be when paired with something salty. Adding miso (which is very salty) to cocoa is the same idea, but better — because miso also has a strong umami flavor.

We all know that hot chocolate and cocoa are sweet drinks, sometimes even decadently rich and intense. The umami-packed salinity of miso paste not only offers a counterpoint that balances the sweetness, but it also adds more depth of flavor to the mug and highlights the chocolate to make it stand out even more.

White miso paste has a mild flavor and subtle sweetness, which makes it the best choice for whisking into hot chocolate. As a rule of thumb, add 1 teaspoon of miso paste per mug, and whisk until it’s completely dissolved.

Have you ever tried adding miso paste to hot chocolate?