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Soy and legumes from Japan — Fukushima

Aizu miso会津味噌

Aizu miso is the red, salty rice miso of the Aizu basin in Fukushima, shaped by its harsh basin winters. Miso shops are recorded as a trade in the early Edo castle town of Wakamatsu, and milder medium-salty misos are now common too.

A short entry: the sources we found record only what is said here about Aizu miso itself. Its own sources do not record how it is made, so the steps and scenes below are those of Sendai miso (salty red rice miso), the closest documented soy and legumes ferment, shown as a guide to the method, not as a record of Aizu miso.

Short entrySoy and legumes

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedIngredients of one prefecture-certified product (Aizu Koshihikari miso); no amounts are given.
SoybeansAizu local soybean (Aizu ji-daizu) in the certified product[FUKUSHIMA-BRAND]
Rice kojiAizu Koshihikari rice in the certified product[FUKUSHIMA-BRAND]
Sun-dried salt[FUKUSHIMA-BRAND]
WaterSpring water from Onogawa, one of the Environment Ministry's 100 famous waters, in the certified product[FUKUSHIMA-BRAND]
Starterrice koji

Total time across the steps of Sendai miso (salty red rice miso): 5.1 months

Start
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shapes, not to countMoulds32–42 °C

What changes: Koji mould grows over the steamed rice for about two days until well aged

Step 1 of 6 · steps of Sendai miso (salty red rice miso)
Grow well-aged rice koji
Time
42 h – 2 days
Set
Temperature
32–42 °C
Set
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Moulds
Yeasts
Lactic acid bacteria

Making the koji a little over-aged is part of the style. The guide gives turning points at 36–37 °C (piling), 38–39 °C and 40–42 °C. Output: rice koji, crumbled and mixed with the salt.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

koji mould grows into the rice and makes the enzymes that give the miso its taste

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

Aizu miso is the red, salty rice miso of the Aizu basin in Fukushima, shaped by its harsh basin winters. Miso shops are recorded as a trade in the early Edo castle town of Wakamatsu, and milder medium-salty misos are now common too.

What makes this one different

Aizu miso is a Tōhoku red karakuchi rice miso like Sendai miso, made in an inland basin with harsh winters; makers now also offer milder medium-salty versions.

Related ferments

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

Miso shops are recorded as a trade in the early-Edo castle town of Wakamatsu, over 300 years ago. A Koshihikari-rice Aizu miso was certified as a Fukushima brand product on 2009-03-13.

  1. [FUKUSHIMA-BRAND] Fukushima Prefecture, 福島県ブランド認証産品(みそ第2弾) (Fukushima brand certified products, miso second round), 2009, page updated 2013gov
  2. [TSC-2017] Tokyo Seiei College, 日本各地のいろいろな味噌 (student nutrition sheet), 2017web