Miso is the everyday ingredient of Japanese cusine. A simple miso soup is a healthy way to start the day. Recently we had the opportunity to meet and speak with Mr. Nobutaro Asai, president of Hatcho Miso from the Hatcho district of Okazaki City in Aichi, Japan. Okazaki is also famous for being the birthplace of the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, a reported fan of Hatcho Miso. He enjoyed it so much, he would have the miso sent to Edo and distributed to his followers.
Mr. Asai’s philosophy behind his products is to spend deliberate time and patience to create the highest quality miso. From start to finish, it takes two and a half years to create a batch of miso. Mr. Asai explained that although this seems like too long for most manufacturers, this is crucial to create the richest flavors. In addition, the only ingredients used are soy beans, salt, and water. No additives are used.
Hatcho Miso is fermented in large cedar casks with a minimum amount of salt and water. Many round river stones are placed strategically on top of a pressing lid in a pyramid like shape. Rather than using one large weight, many smaller stones will apply even pressure and cause the ingredients to constantly circulate and distribute itself evenly throughout the fermentation process. Therefore, even though a lower amount of water is used, it will still incorporate itself with the miso equally. Impressively, the stones used are the same ones used since the Edo period. Just as impressive is that the method has not changed fundamentally since. That’s over 400 years! Hatcho Miso is the most traditional miso within Japan.
Miso is well known for being one of the healthiest foods available. Combine this with the lower amount of water and salt added to Hatcho Miso, and you get a product that is higher in protein and lower in sodium. While it is not a medicine, studies have shown that miso has anti-carcinogenic properties and aids against hypertension.
Mr. Asai prepared for us a sample dish using his miso dare, a sweetened miso sauce. Combining the glutamate found naturally in cheese with miso, he created an umami-rich Japanese style pizza-toast. It was a fanastic way to blend two different cuisines together to make a new and unique flavor. The great point about miso is that it can be used to so many ways to enhance recipies. Mix it with tonkatsu sauce to richen the flavor of your katsu, use it mixed in a dipping sauce of mayonnaise for vegetable sticks, or incorporate it into dumplings to create a more complex taste. Experiment with Hatcho Miso and see what you can create!
