miso

Where does the word "miso" come from? It comes from Japanese miso, and was adopted directly into English (1700s).

Miso’s story begins in Japanese: miso meant “fermented soybean paste.” A fermented paste made from soybeans, central to Japanese cooking. It reached English by 1700s as miso. Engelbert Kaempfer described miso in his account of Japan, published in 1727. Today, miso means a fermented soybean paste used widely in Japanese cooking, especially soup.

1. Stage 1 · Japanese · medieval miso "fermented soybean paste", a fermented paste made from soybeans, central to Japanese cooking.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1700s miso "a fermented soybean paste used in Japanese cooking", Engelbert Kaempfer described miso in his account of Japan, published in 1727.