When a Science-Minded Husband Makes Miso Soup, This Is What Happens [Daily Life Is an Experiment]

When I come into the living room saying "Good morning,"
salad and miso soup are already made.

That's because my science-minded husband (now in his 4th year as a househusband)
has started making miso soup in the morning.
My husband used to be a workaholic businessman during the high-growth period.
Wow, he's really come a long way.

He had already been making morning salads for a while,
so breakfast is now almost complete with just salad and miso soup.

Simply put,
"Daily life is an experiment" (in the style of Taro Okamoto),
he measures everything and has turned it into a routine.

If you're wondering what that means, please read on.

1. Until he started making miso soup

My science-minded husband has loved miso soup since his days as a businessman.

For him, the morning starts with "rice and miso soup."
I, Atsuko, found it a hassle and didn't make it every morning.

However, that situation changed three years ago.

I started working full-time, taking over for my retired husband
↓
I would make a large batch of miso soup and store it in the fridge
↓
By the third day of reheating it,
the vegetables would turn to mush and it wouldn't taste good
↓
This isn't miso soup!
↓
Well then, I'll make it myself

And so, my science-minded husband's miso soup making
begins.

2. Interviewing Atsuko

Making miso soup started with an interview with me, Atsuko.

Science-minded husband: "How much water?"

Atsuko: "Just enough."

Science-minded husband: "How much of the ingredients?"

Atsuko: "Just enough."

Science-minded husband: "How long do you boil it for?"

Atsuko: "Just enough."

Science-minded husband: "Isn't everything just 'enough'?"

Atsuko: "Yes, it's all just 'enough.' It's a world of intuition."

3. Routinize the miso soup making

That was when "Daily life is an experiment" began.
I, Atsuko, have had absolutely nothing to do with it.

Here is how my husband makes his miso soup...

He places a small saucepan, a bowl, and a small Ziploc bag on the scale.

Science-minded husband: "I zero out the display in this state."

Put the ingredients into a bowl and a Ziploc bag

Science-minded husband: "Today it's sweet potato and green onion,
there's also seaweed under the sweet potato."

Make the total weight of ingredients and water 610g

Science-minded husband: "Our household standard is a total of 610g of ingredients and water
—this is for three servings (two for us, and one for the Buddha)."

Atsuko: "Is 610g okay even if the ingredients are different?"

Science-minded husband: "Vegetables are mostly water, so that's fine.
You'd understand if you thought about how light
freeze-dried vegetables are."

Atsuko: (So arrogant...)

Measure the dashi stock powder (4g)

Science-minded husband: "This is the "dashi" dashi we use at home."
Atsuko: "......."
Atsuko ignores the cold joke.

Science-minded husband: "Since one packet is for six servings of miso soup..."

Science-minded husband: "Measure exactly half of one packet, 4g, and save the rest for tomorrow."

Measuring the miso

Science-minded husband: "I place the miso spoon on the scale and set it to zero. The reason I chose this spoon is because its shape makes it hard to roll when placed on the counter."

Science-minded husband: "The miso is 27g. This is a value derived from daily feedback on whether it's too strong or too weak."

Adding ingredients to the boiling dashi stock

Science-minded husband: "If the potato isn't this thick, it takes too long to cook. I learned this from feedback too."

Science-minded husband: "Add the seaweed."

Science-minded husband: "Once it comes to a boil, add the green onions."

Simmering (5 to 7 minutes is the guideline)

Science-minded husband: "Put the lid on."

Science-minded husband: "The ingredients should simmer for at least 5 minutes.
At the same time, I'm making the morning salad on the side."

Dissolving the miso right before it's finished

Science-minded husband: "I dissolve the miso carefully right at the end. The flavor is different."

Science-minded husband: "Done. The salad is finished just in time, too."

Science-minded husband: "The sweet potatoes haven't fallen apart, and it's just right."

Science-minded husband: "Alright, let's sit down and eat."

Atsuko: "I've already offered some to the Buddha... Wow, it looks delicious. It's autumn, isn't it?"
(This is the part where I give him full praise)

Both: "Itadakimasu (Let's eat)."
Atsuko will be heading to work after this.

4. The power of 'routinization'

Atsuko: "Why do you make it this way?"

Science-minded husband: "Well, that's because..."

Science-minded husband: "I didn't taste it, but it turned out well, didn't it?"

Atsuko feels somewhat annoyed...

It's true that with Atsuko's miso soup, she's always adjusting it on the spot, adding hot water because it's too salty or adding more miso because it's too thin.

Science-minded husband: "I am using the "power of routinization"

Atsuko: "What is that?"

Science-Minded Husband: "As a result, I can reduce the stress on myself."

5. The Goal of Miso Soup

Atsuko: "If it's that hard, instant is fine."

Science-Minded Husband: "I do that when I really can't do it."

Atsuko: "You don't have to push yourself."

Science-Minded Husband: "...The ordinary daily life...
we can spend it together, can't we?"

Atsuko: "Huh?"

Science-Minded Husband: "Eating breakfast together,
drinking warm miso soup together,
living out an ordinary daily life.
Isn't that a happy thing?"

It was a surprise attack.

Atsuko (speechless)

I was caught off guard...

That is why
in our kitchen
this scene can be seen every morning.

An ordinary daily life
and heading toward the end of life
is this miso soup.

I'm sure we can keep at it until the end... right, right, right!

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2022/11/24 Postscript

It was selected as a 'Featured Article of the Day'.Thank you very much.

When my husband reached retirement age and turned down continued employment at his company, my heart was filled with anxiety.
Financially speaking, no matter how hard I worked, I could never come close to the amount he had been earning.

What I was most worried about was our daily life, starting with the division of household chores.
Since our daughters have left home and it's just the two of us, there is no family around to stop us if the atmosphere turns hostile.

We had some pretty terrible fights.
As it turns out, my science-minded husband's approach to housework was a bit unusual.
It started with the management of the rice.

Once he started measuring the rice precisely, he ran into the question of whether the weight differs depending on the type of rice.
Frustratingly, the rice has actually tasted better since he took over managing it.
And finally, he conducted an analysis on types of rice.

In this way, he demonstrates his science-minded husband tendencies in many ways.
Managing the candles from our wedding and so on

his obsession with chocolate to go with coffee and so on

significant figures and so on

Stories about my science-minded husband are collected in this magazine.

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The past three and a half years have certainly had their ups and downs.
I even considered divorce.
Thinking I couldn't live with this person anymore.
What on earth happened to a retired couple in the era of the 100-year life...
I will be writing about how to raise a husband after retirement little by little from now on.
I would be happy if you could follow the magazine below.

Thank you so much for reading this far.
I am grateful.