Summertime is grilling time, and burgers are a fast and easy favorite. While lettuce-tomato-onion is classic, a kimchi-mayonnaise topping enhanced with Oaktown’s Sesame Miso Shake can help elevate your burger – whether meat or plant-based – to a new level.

I think of Sesame Miso Shake as an all-purpose blend with an Asian flair that can be sprinkled on noodles and rice as well as all kinds of vegetables and proteins and even snacks. A co-worker turned me on to tossing some into a package of Trader Joe’s Mochi Rice Nuggets, and I haven’t looked back.

This blend has a mild warmth from chiles that is tamed and enhanced with ingredients including umami-rich red miso, sesame seeds, coconut sugar, nori and a touch of Szechuan pepper and MSG. (Not to worry -- MSG (monosodium glutamate) is naturally occurring in everyday foods that also provide umami such as tomatoes, mushrooms, Parmesan cheese and anchovies. You can read more about MSG here.)

My kimchi burger recipe is, of course, very flexible and my quantities are guidelines, so use spice, salt, kimchi and mayo to taste.