Ever wonder why the miso made from store-bought miso paste isn’t as good as the miso you’re served in Japanese restaurants? Not long ago, I asked the man behind the counter of our local sushi carryout about this, and he said, “Well, some restaurants use this seasoning salt.” I studied the bottle and passed it back to him, noting, “Well, that has MSG in it.”

“Then, do you know about Bonito flakes?” he asked, presenting me with a package of dried fish flakes that listed no harmful salts or preservatives.

Now we always pour clear hot water through a strainer of Bonito flakes, also known as “katsobushi,” when making miso (which, by the way, should never be boiled). The flakes lend the broth a richer flavor, and give it a nice smell.

Add small cubes of firm tofu, finely sliced scallions, and a dried seaweed flake (available in most health food stores today), and you have a soup that will bolster you better than a mug of coffee when your energy flags in the late afternoon.

At the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, miso is often served for breakfast with diced carrots and translucent cooked white onions floating in it. I’ve trained my older son to enjoy miso in the mornings, and I think it launches him into his day with a warm feeling in his belly.

THE BEST OF CHATTERING MIND.