Home made miso

Home made miso

Last year during a holiday in Wakayama, Japan, I visited a shop that specialized in making miso. Learned a lot from the owner, and it is a preparation that used to be done at home every winter, by mixing cooked soy bean with fermented rice and salt, very simple, just need to wait.

The shop sells a dried fermented rice cake as starter, I did not buy it but used my home made fermented rice instead. I also read a book on Japanese preserves to learn that we can actually use less salt, so the miso is easier to use more, for having more fermented rice and bean flavor.

I followed the recipe and waited a year before using, the smell is wonderful, the taste is a combination of mild sweetness of rice wine and savory umami bean, totally different from shop bought ones. Traditionally miso is made in early winter when it is cold, and takes 6 months minimum before using.

250gm fermented rice

300gm cooked and mashed soy bean

80 gm salt

fermented rice

1. Ferment rice as in making rice wine, use the rice after 2 days of fermentation so that it is less runny.

2. Cook soy bean in water with a tsp of baking soda to make the water alkaline, easier to soften, the bean should stay whole. 

cooked soy bean

3. Mash up bean to a paste, mix with rice and salt.

mashed soy bean

4. Place in a glass jar to 2/3 full, sprinkle a little salt on the surface, cover with cling film and keep in a cold dark corner. The fermented rice will make it ferment and bubbling.

Fermented rice with soy bean and salt

5. Store in the fridge when warm weather comes, I found the fragrant develops more after a year.