I try to experience as many aspects of Japanese culture as possible. After all it is one of the benefits of living in this beautiful country. Food is one aspect of Japanese culture I love to experience probably the most.
The variety of Japanese food is astonishingly large spanning from seafood, tofu, noodle and meat dishes to very unique types like burdock and lotus roots. One of the staples of Japanese cuisine is miso. It is used for soups, marinating or as a dip itself. And it is very healthy!
When my family was given the opportunity to join a miso making workshop two years ago we could not refuse. It was a great chance to learn together about something we all like. And this year we made it by ourselves at home. Making miso paste is not difficult. Anyone can do it. It does however require some time. It can be made by following these simple steps.
Soak dry soy beans in cold water overnight.
Cook the beans for over 3 hours. Add water when necessary and collect lose protective skin layer. Throw away lose skin but keep water used for boiling.
Boil all beans again in water used the previous day. Sift and put the beans in a firm plastic bag. Start pressing by hands or feet. Mash it all into a fine paste. Or as fine as possible. Add special fermented rice (Koji rice) and mix thoroughly. Once it’s all done put the paste into a plastic box or a ceramic jar. Make sure not to leave any air-pockets by pressing the mix properly into the jar. Cover it all with cling film and put cooking salt around the edges.
That’s all. Done. Very easy. All you have to do now is leave the mix in a dark and cool place for 6 months. The result is delicious!
If you’d like to know more about my experience or would like give me some tips and advice about Japanese cuisine, please come and visit me at SSE Katsura. Let’s talk about it! Tom
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