Miso, for those unfamiliar with it, is fermented and ground soybeans made into a paste. They are commonly used in Japanese or Chinese cuisine. Recent reports have indicated miso has a number of health benefits. Here are eight ways to introduce miso to your everyday diet.

Miso can be fermented in salt for as little as two months or as long as two years. It can also have grain including wheat, brown rice, millet, or barley added to it to aid in fermentation. Depending upon the length of fermentation and additional ingredients, miso may be white, beige, or deep red and each one has its own unique flavor.

1. Miso soup, a staple in the Japanese diet for generations, is considered health food. Some doctors in Japan will actually prescribe miso soup to combat everything from high blood pressure to menopause to breast cancer. Sip miso soup out of a mug before a meal and you’re likely to eat less. You can find recipes for miso soup in Asian cookbooks or on the internet.

2. Create a dip using miso for garden fresh vegetables. There are many ways you can incorporate miso into a dip. Add it to hummus, mix it in small curd cottage cheese, or come up with your own recipes.

3. Add miso to extra virgin olive or sesame oil to make a delicious salad dressing which packs a powerful dose of vitamins, minerals, and protein.

4. Use miso in place of salt in mushroom gravy. This is actually a great way to try miso for the first time. You can taste the slightly salty flavor that is also slightly sharp with a little bit of tang. Your gravy will never be the same again.

5. Make a simple sauce of miso, tahini, lemon juice, Stevia and water. You can use it as salad dressing or as a marinade for fish or steak.

6. Instead of using butter on toast, why not spread miso on it for a totally different flavor?

7. Fix yourself a miso-tahini sandwich. You can also add sliced avocado to the sandwich for even more flavor.

8. Miso also makes a great substitute for coffee, so carry dried miso soup packets and make that when you need an afternoon pick-me-up.

Why else would you want to add miso to your diet? Some reports indicate miso will help remove metallic poisons from the body. In fact, it was given to Japanese people after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to remove radiation. While you may not be faced with an atomic bomb, you can still benefit health-wise from miso.

There are many reasons you may want to give miso a try. After learning a little bit more about it, you may want to try some of these eight ways to introduce miso to your everyday diet. As the old saying goes, “Try it, you’ll like it.”