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Soy and legumes from Japan — Okinawa

Okinawan shima miso

A Shuri brewery in Okinawa makes its miso from whole soybeans, house-made koji and Okinawan salt (shimamāsu). One Shuri brewery explains that Okinawa's heat lets it start batches in any season, not only in winter, and that the short ferment leaves a natural sweetness. No source read gives its koji ratio, salt or ripening time.

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

Short entrySoy and legumes

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedWhat goes in. No source gives amounts for this ferment.
whole soybeans
rice koji (house-made)
Okinawan salt (shimamāsu)
Starterkoji on rice, made at the brewery

Total time across the steps of Sweet barley miso (Satsuma miso): 30 days – 3 months

Start
Drag the bar or press Play
Close-up: water moving into a bean

What changes: Barley soaks up water and drains

Step 1 of 5 · steps of Sweet barley miso (Satsuma miso)
Wash, soak and drain the barley
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Moulds

Output: soaked barley.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

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

A Shuri brewery in Okinawa makes its miso from whole soybeans, house-made koji and Okinawan salt (shimamāsu). One Shuri brewery explains that Okinawa's heat lets it start batches in any season, not only in winter, and that the short ferment leaves a natural sweetness. No source read gives its koji ratio, salt or ripening time.

Key numbers
Temperature23 °CReported[GLT-tamanaha]Mix with whole soybeans and shimamāsu salt; brew naturally

What makes this one different

The brewery contrasts this with the usual practice of starting in cold winter and ripening for a year. In Okinawa's heat the brewing runs in any season and finishes sooner, which the brewery says gives a natural sweetness.

Related ferments

History and sources

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

  1. [GLT-tamanaha] Good Luck Trip, 玉那覇味噌醤油 (Tamanaha Miso Shōyu, Shuri), brewery featureweb