TREND BITES:

Miso

Make Miso Your Menu's Not-So-Secret Weapon

July 9, 2026

Looking for a simple way to add flavor, trend appeal, and versatility to your menu? Miso may be the ingredient you're missing. Datassential's Menu Trends shows that miso was added to 10% more menus over the past year and, perhaps more tellingly, was mentioned in 30% more social posts. With consumer interest in miso booming and foodservice menus just beginning to catch up, now is the perfect time to get ahead of the miso trend.

What is Miso?

A star in Japanese cuisine, miso is a thick paste made from fermented soybeans that's often used as a base for soups, salad dressings, sauces, and marinades. It has a prominent umami flavor that's salty and tangy, and a little miso goes a long way in any application. While operators and consumers can prepare their own miso, most choose to purchase prepared miso and let the experts handle the fermentation process.

Miso Hits the Trend Trifecta

Today's consumers want it all. They want to experiment with global cuisines, use foods for comfort, and meet their health and wellness goals. Because of that, miso is intriguing to a wide variety of Americans right now.

Add miso to your dishes to tap into these consumer interests:

Global Cuisine: With consumers wanting to try more global flavors, miso offers operators an easy way to incorporate the umami-rich tastes associated with Japanese and other Asian cuisines.
Comfort: Miso delivers a warmth and richness that enhances already-warm dishes like soups and broths or adds a delightfully contrasting touch of richness to salads, wraps, and bowls.
Health Goals: As focus on gut health increases, interest in fermented foods continues to grow. Miso is a simple, versatile fermented option. (Learn more from our "Fermentation" Trend Bite!)

Easy Miso Applications to Try on Your Menu

Miso Ranch Chopped Chicken Salad

Miso Chicken with Walnuts and Grapes

Sticky Miso Chicken

Boost Your Umami

Like miso, umami is deeply ingrained in Japanese cuisine and culture. It was discovered in Japan in the early 1900s and named after the Japanese word for delicious, "umai." Research from the Centre for Advanced Sensory Science explains that though we previously believed we can taste four types of flavor—sweet, salty, bitter, and sour—we actually have unique taste receptors for umami too.

Umami is savory, rich, and deep. It's found in foods like meat, broth, cheese, soy sauce, and miso. Umei Foods explains, "Unlike sweetness or sourness, umami doesn't shout—it lingers. It rounds out flavours, making every bite feel balanced and complete." By adding umami-rich miso to your applications, you can add depth and complexity to even the simplest dishes.

Miso Can Be Your Menu Hero

If you're looking for simple ways to add global appeal, robust flavor, or intriguing LTOs to your menu, this tasty paste is perfect for you. There are two key strengths of miso that make it a must-have for any kitchen: it's extremely versatile, and a small amount goes a long way.

Here are a few low-effort ways to get started with miso:

Offer miso dressings for salads and bowls. Try serving this Miso Ranch Chopped Chicken Salad.
Put it to use across dayparts. A miso aioli will wow guests on breakfast sandwiches while a miso glaze gives entrees a sophisticated depth appropriate for plated dinners. In this Miso Chicken with Walnuts and Grapes recipe, we applied a miso glaze to a fully cooked chicken filet.
Add miso to your existing offerings to create globally-inspired LTOs like miso chicken wraps or miso protein bowls.
Increase your diet-friendly offerings by mentioning miso's gut health benefits on your menu or by using it in gluten free entrees like this Sticky Miso Chicken.