Give Your Peanut Butter And Jelly Sandwich A Bold Flavor Boost

Peanut butter and jellies are one of those simple yet scrumptious meals introduced to us as children that we never really grow out of. After all, why would we? Creamy, sweet, and tangy with nutty, caramelized undertones, a classic PB&J is timeless for a good reason. Delicious as a classic PB&J is, shaking up traditions is part of what makes cooking an art form. Next time you're craving this quintessential pairing, introduce a new player to the roster — miso paste.

Miso is a traditional Japanese paste made by fermenting soybeans with koji fungus, cultures, and salt water. A creamy umami bomb that requires only a small amount to transform a dish, miso paste might not be the first ingredient that comes to mind when brainstorming ways to zhuzh up a PB&J. However, sweet and savory flavors can amplify one another, like a culinary yin and yang. The sweet, fruity taste of jam is enhanced by the salty, umami-tinted flavor of miso, and peanut butter, with its rustic, caramelized earthiness, blends surprisingly well with the nutty undercurrents in miso. Miso paste, which is easy to spread, shares a similar consistency to peanut butter, which means it won't disrupt the textural quality of your PB&J.

To enjoy the subtle depth and complexity that miso paste brings to this perennial sandwich, be mindful of which brand of peanut butter you select. While those containing added sugar and palm oil can enrich certain recipes, the naturally toasty taste of pure peanut butter is essential for enjoying the subtleties and a miso-kissed PB&J.

There are many types of miso paste, but the primary categories are quite simple – white, yellow, and red. Each has its own defining characteristics, and some work better in specific recipes than others. Consider the differences before adding miso paste to your PB&J. And remember, you only need a small amount to make a difference.

Thanks to its extended fermentation process and high soybean content, red miso paste has a brackish saltiness and more pronounced umami flavor than other varieties. Because of this, it's commonly used in soups, stews, and meat marinades. To avoid a stuffy, overwhelmingly savory taste in your PB&J, save red miso paste for other recipes.

White miso paste, on the other hand, is a quicker ferment with a mild umami presence and a noticeably sweeter flavor than its red counterpart, making it an excellent selection for those who prefer delicate whispers of miso in their PB&J. Finally, yellow miso is the best of both worlds, striking a balance between the strapping taste of red miso and the mild-mannered spirit of white miso. It's more pronounced than white miso, but less severe than red miso paste, making it the best choice for enjoying the complexities of a miso paste-infused PB&J without distracting from the primary ingredients.

Although it's just one of the many ways to upgrade a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, adding miso paste is one of the most creative and transformative. That is, of course, unless you swap the bread for waffles.