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Hi all- sorry for the delay in getting this out-
I was waiting to see if I'd get any more responses
but I didn't and then Christmas came! 2 people gave me direct
answers. Elizabeth said per a phone call to Westbrae that
their Brown Rice miso IS in fact gluten free; just make sure
it is not their BARLEY miso, because they make BOTH. (Don't grab
the wrong bag!). She uses it to make low-fat salad dressing,
gravy/sauce, and as an addition to lots of stuff. It is salty,
adds a nice brown color and a rich wine-like, meat-like flavor to
otherwise vegetarian cooking.
I must say I went ahead and got the bag and tried it out and had
no reaction (the label is pretty clear on ingredients: only has a
few- and that's always a good sign. :)
Most recent use: I deglazed a pan of carmelized onions with 2 Tbls.
brandy, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon miso, and they came out
even better than usual! Very flavorful!! here's the other person's
response almost in full, very informative:
Dear Mindy,
I'm sitting here, eating my favourite stir-fry with miso sauce, and
I see your letter. There are quite a few good miso's out there.
I don't know if Westbrae is GF, but brown rice miso is supposed to
be made with rice koji (koji can also be made from barley).
I eat a modified macrobiotic and vegetarian diet. I rely upon
miso quite a bit as a condiment and a soup base. I now get my
miso from a local company called South River. They make miso
out of many kinds of beans! Among them are: adzuki, chick peas, black
beans, even dandelion greens. If you can find a local producer, I
highly recommend using "crafted" miso. Miso's are alot like wine-there
are even miso masters and enthusiasts.
There has been alot of discussion about the GF status of miso.
If you can find one that uses rice koji, you should be fine.
Miso contains enzymes (essential to health), as well as organisms
beneficial to the intestinal tract. It also tastes wonderful!
Enjoy,
Gwynneth in Boston
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