Tohoku Natural Disaster, Nuclear Accident and Kyoto White Miso – Part 1
My friend, Chef Tanigawa, the owner-chef of Kichisen was frustrated to see a total absence of overseas visitors to Kyoto this spring. The disaster in Tohoku is that cause, however the exaggerated media coverage has made the local tragedy into a national economic calamity, with far reaching consequences, and for no rational reason. While the nuclear meltdown is deadly serious, so far, just two workers at the plant have required treatment for radiation exposure. Apparently, simple soap and water was their only required treatment.
From what I heard and saw this spring, Kyoto hospitality related businesses lost more than 98% of their customers from overseas. Yet, there was absolutely no damage or danger in Kyoto. That fact didn’t stop the media from going into frenzy mode and report that the situation in Japan was as bad as Chernobyl. This inflicts real damage on small businesses and local economies. And then, the media just move onto the next crisis, their greener pastures. It is very irresponsible, to say the least.
If you want to help Japan recover from this tragedy and you have a trip planned. Don’t cancel! Come, enjoy yourself and support the economy. If you cancelled or postponed a trip, please consider coming!
Kichisen White Miso and Tofu Served with Rice Tea Ceremony-style and Sashimi
So, here we go. Kichisen’s recipe for Kyoto-style white miso.
Temperature: Usually miso is made in the winter so it doesn’t need refrigeration as it ferments. We started this in late May so it will have to ferment in the refrigerator over the summer.
Name: Kyoto white miso, called ‘saikyo’ (west capital) miso in Kyoto and ‘shiro’ (white) miso in the rest if the country, has a lower than usual salt content, so the temperature during the fermentation process is important.
Kichisen Shiromiso Ingredients
- 1.2 kg soybeans (best quality, from Hokkaido)
- kome-koji 2.5 kg (malted rice)
- arajio salt 450 g (natural sea salt)
- water 3.5 liters
Ingredient: Hokkaido Soybeans
Ingredient: Hokkaido Soybeans - Soaked
Ingredient: Rice Koji
Preparation: Simmering Soybeans
Preparation: Simmering Soybeans - Done
Preparation: Soybean Grinder
Preparation: Mixing in Salt
Preparation: Adding Liquid
Preparation: Mixing
Preparation: Packing and Removing Air
Ready for Fermentation
Preparation Steps
- Soak soybeans in cold water overnight.
- Drain and rinse soybeans.
- In a large pot bring 3.5 liters of water to boil, reduce heat and add soybeans. Simmer for about 1 hour.
- Drain and allow to cool.
- Mash, grind or puree the soybeans. (Kichisen uses a meat grinder with a fine hole plate attachment.)
- Mix by hand the soybean puree with kome-koji thoroughly and then add salt while continuing to mix.
- Add liquid. Use the cooled ‘soup’ leftover from simmering the soybeans to soften the mix. Ladle in this liquid little-by-little and mix by hand until evenly absorbed creating a soft paste. The ideal liquid content will make the paste ‘the softness of an earlobe.’
- Vigorously knead paste and remove air bubbles.
- Make into balls and place in non-reactive container. Flatten the balls of miso paste until you have filled the container.
- Cover container and ferment at about 5 degrees C for 3 months.
Final Product: Kichisen White Miso - Done!
Final Product: Kichisen White Miso - Smokey and Pungent
About kome-koji: Rice koji (malted rice) can be made if you can obtain the active koji mold. In Japan we purchase this from a company that specialized in making kome-koji. Chef Tanigawa ordered his from a company in Shikoku. If anyone is interested, I can get the company name and contact information. However, kome-koji must be used fresh and kept refrigerated until use. I guess it is impossible to be shipped abroad.
Sake breweries, miso breweries and so on make their own kome-koji but usually purchase the actual koji mold. There are many varieties of koji in Japan and in sake and miso they play a large part in determining the taste of the final product.
Obtaining Koji Spores Abroad: Vision Brewing
The koji seeds are dry and extremely stable and are stored in an air lock bag. They have an indefinite shelf life being dried conidia, they need no refrigeration and the packet can be opened and closed frequently without harm done to the contents. Postage (air mail, 7 working days) is the method of shipping.
Similar Posts:
- O-shogatsu Ryori: Kyoto-style Saikyo O-zoni White Miso Soup
- Sake: Learning to Make Sake at Kitagawa Honke Sake Brewery in Fushimi – Part 3
- Kyoto Kichisen’s Chef Tanigawa Defeating Masaharu Morimoto on Iron Chef
- Kichisen Sansho Chirimen Jako on Gohan Nabe Rice
- Sake: Learning to Make Sake at Kitagawa Honke Sake Brewery in Fushimi, Kyoto – Part 1
Hi, Kyoto-Foodie.
Glad you’re back! My uncles live in Osaka and they are saying the same thing about tourism. Summer is almost here and maybe people will realize it’s safe to go to most parts of Japan. I saw some travel companies offering very good discounted deals to Japan. Hope those work!
http://www.gemcultures.com/soy_cultures.htm
This company is in the US and they have koji cultures, natto cultures, shoyu cultures and some others from Japan. They are located in Washington state and ship within the US with limited International shipping.
Hope that helps someone!
Chieko
We’ve planned a trip to Kyoto and Tokyo in October, and we’re very much looking forward to it. We definitely had quite a few people ask us if we’re still going – wtf?
I second Chieko…so very glad you’re back. Have missed your posts! Recipe looks terrific. Will have to give it a try soon.
Hey Michael, thanks for posting this. Have been wanting to make saikyo miso for a long time now but its near impossible in Australia. Will have to attempt it when I am back in town. I am dragging as many people as I can back with me – rest assured I am doing my bit to encourage all to visit Japan. Especially Kyoto!!
See you in September. Jx
Hi Chieko, Well, thank you very much for remembering me! Thanks much for the link to Gem Cultures, that looks like a very good resource for people outside of Japan.
Hi Silke, I am glad to hear that you are coming. I am surprised to hear that people are still WTFing your trip. While you may not want to visit the Fukushima area, there is still almost all the country to visit. Please let us know how your trip goes.
Hi Mora, Thank you! Sorry for the long silence. Let us know how your experience with miso making goes. I think the only tricky thing is procuring good kome koji. Other than that, it is just a matter of fermenting it at the right temperature.
Hi Jane, Thanks for ‘dragging’ people back to Japan! When you are here, if you want to visit some miso makers, I can probably arrange it. I have gone to this place out in Kameoka a few times to make miso with them and sent a few ‘kid’ chefs out there to do a miso stage for a few days. Everyone always had a blast.
Thanks for coming back!
Japan is not half as bad as the media want you to believe.
I keep a diary since March 11, check out the facts, do not believe the rumours!
http://japan-afterthebigearthquake.blogspot.com/
Cheers to the Kyoto Cuisine!
Greetings from Okayama
Gabi Greve
Hey MB, I would love to visit some miso makers, my Sake maker friend has some contacts too – so will talk to you both when I am back. Thanks. I visited a group of obaachan in Kameoka who teach traditional cuisine at the city hall – they all make their own miso too and I would love to go back there – the train trip is particularly spectacular!