[Purely's original natural fermented food] Kyushu no Takumi rice miso

Purely's original rice miso made with the utmost care in ingredients and manufacturing methods

<Fermented with natural bacteria that live in the brewery, brewed in wooden barrels, and made with naturally grown ingredients from Kyushu>

Naturally grown rice and soybeans from Kyushu are fermented using natural koji mold from Marukawa Miso, a 100-year-old brewery in Fukui Prefecture, and then brewed using the traditional natural fermentation method in wooden barrels.

The miso is not heated and contains no additives.

The miso is placed in wooden barrels handmade by artisans in Osaka and left to mature for a long period of time.

The water is a mixture of underground water from the Hino River in Fukui Prefecture and the beautiful meltwater that is unique to snowy regions.

The salt used is solar-dried lake salt from Inner Mongolia, a rare, completely solar-crystallized salt even on a global scale.

Although it is a light-colored rice miso, the deep flavor that comes from the long aging period of nine months is sure to be unforgettable once you have tried it. Miso soup made with this rice miso is so delicious that you won't need any dashi stock. Purely's original rice miso is made with the utmost care in the ingredients and manufacturing process. Please enjoy this authentic miso.

The ingredients are natural rice and soybeans grown in Kyushu without fertilizer or pesticides.

The raw materials, rice and soybeans, which are the lifeblood of rice miso, are 100% from Kyushu, grown naturally without the use of any pesticides or fertilizers. Natural cultivation is the ultimate farming method that does not use any pesticides or even fertilizers. Rice grown naturally has deeper roots and spreads over a wider area than regular rice. This is because the rice cannot rely on fertilizer, so it desperately tries to absorb nutrients from the soil on its own. The result is rice that is full of vitality and without waste, grown only with its own strength and the natural blessings of the sun, water, and soil.

Naturally grown Sasanishiki rice producer, Kazuhiro Matsumoto, Fukuoka Prefecture

We also use naturally grown black soybeans from Kyushu.

Japan's self-sufficiency rate for soybeans is only 6%, so even domestic production of soybeans is extremely valuable.

Among these soybeans, there are almost no pesticide-free cultivations, and those that are grown naturally can be called truly "miracle" soybeans.

It is no exaggeration to say that we have taken the utmost care in selecting the rice and soybeans that are the lifeblood of rice miso.

Naturally grown soybean producer, Shunsaku Kawagoe, Miyazaki Prefecture

Naturally fermented and brewed miso from a 100-year-old miso brewery

The miso is made by Marukawa Miso, a company in Fukui Prefecture that was founded in 1914.

This brewery has been making miso using natural fermentation in wooden barrels for over 100 years since 1914.

We are committed to traditional natural fermentation, and our miso is not heated or made with any additives. We let it sit for about a year in accordance with the Japanese seasons.

After the war, due to plans to increase food production and the trend towards "mass production and mass consumption," miso began to be made through forced fermentation, and naturally fermented miso declined dramatically.

Since its founding, Marukawa Miso has stubbornly stuck to natural, handmade fermentation methods cultivated by artisans, and continues to produce authentic miso.

This photo focuses on Hiroshi Kawasaki, the representative of Marukawa Miso, and shows everyone who has dedicated their lives to making miso.

Natural bacteria fermentation in wooden barrels

Naturally brewed miso is aged in wooden barrels for about a year.

Wooden barrels are more expensive than stainless steel tanks and require more maintenance.

However, the reason he continues to insist on using wooden barrels is that "brewing in barrels produces a unique miso that cannot be brewed in a stainless steel tank."

Miso is a fermented food that makes use of the characteristics of a mold called koji mold (also known as Aspergillus oryzae).

Bacteria live in the gaps between the fibers of the wood of the barrels, and these natural bacteria that live there produce a more delicious and unique miso.

Miso in a wooden barrel.

We are particular about wooden barrels and continue to use them, carefully repairing them.

If you prepare miso in a stainless steel or enamel tank, the bacteria will be washed away during cleaning without being able to take up residence.

In addition, stainless steel and enamel tanks heat up and cool down quickly, making it difficult to maintain a temperature of 20 to 30 degrees, which is comfortable for bacteria.

Because wooden barrels are made from wood, they can transmit slight changes in humidity and temperature to the miso, creating the ideal fermentation environment for fermented foods.

In addition, as the sake is brewed in a barrel, bacteria take up residence in it, creating a unique flavor and umami taste that is called "oak habit."

Today, wooden barrel craftsmen are extremely valuable assets.

While most have gone out of business, some still stubbornly continue to pass on their skills.

In addition, good quality water is essential to making good koji and miso.

All of the water used in this rice miso comes from the underground waters of the Hino River in Fukui Prefecture, as well as the beautiful meltwater that is unique to snowy regions.

Naturally filtered groundwater is rich in minerals and does not require sterilization or filtering.

The underground water of the Hino River is used to make miso.

This mineral-rich water does not require sterilization or filtering.

The ultimate rice miso made with natural koji mold that lives in the brewery

Today, most miso is brewed using artificially cultivated koji mold.

Marukawa Miso collects its own natural koji mold that exists in the air of its miso brewery and makes miso using the natural mold that is present in the brewery.

Home-produced seed koji requires a huge amount of effort and skilled techniques.

As time passed, it was said that miso production using natural koji mold temporarily ceased in Japan.

At Marukawa Miso, the technique was lost after the Meiji period.

In the midst of this, the passion of one doctor, Dr. Miyoshi Motoharu, and the seventh generation Kawasaki Uemon revived the technique, and the technique of seed koji has been handed down uninterrupted through four generations to the present day.

Koji made by growing mold using the natural koji mold that lives in the brewery.

Koji mold is a natural fungus that has almost disappeared in Japan.

The flavor created by four types of natural koji mold that have taken up residence in the brewery for approximately 100 years, spanning the Taisho, Showa, and Heisei eras, exudes a deep, rich, and extremely profound flavor.

This is the ultimate rice miso, made by fermenting naturally grown ingredients with natural koji mold and aging it for a long period in wooden barrels.

Once you try it, you will surely find it so delicious that you will never forget its deep flavor.

You can use it in a wide range of dishes, including miso soup, miso dengaku, and miso stew.

Marukawa Miso is made using natural bacteria fermentation and wooden barrel brewing. The deep flavor and aroma created by the natural bacteria is so delicious it will move you.

Thank you to all the staff at Marukawa Miso for making our delicious miso!

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This product can be stored at room temperature before opening.

If the products you order together are: [Room temperature only ⇒ Shipped by room temperature delivery] [Refrigerated items included ⇒ Shipped by refrigerated delivery]

After opening, store in the refrigerator.

The salinity is 12.5%.