Nihon Chomiryo Tabi
Choko Nagasaki Mugi Miso Barley Miso (チョーコー 長崎麦みそ)
The story behind it
In Kyushu, miso means barley miso. The koji (the fermentation culture Aspergillus oryzae) is grown on barley rather than rice, which gives a softer sweetness and a straightforward aroma.
Choko Shoyu is a Nagasaki maker with its production base in Omura, a place well supplied with water and greenery. The koji for this Nagasaki barley miso is grown only on hulless barley from Japan, a grain with a thin husk that the koji mold spreads through easily.
After brewing, it is never heated. This is what is called raw miso: the koji and yeast arrive alive. There are no preservatives, sweeteners or colorings. Even while it sits in your refrigerator, the flavor keeps shifting slightly.
Sugar entered Japan through Dejima in Nagasaki, and both the cooking and the seasonings here lean sweet. The sweetness in this barley miso is not sugar. It comes from the barley koji itself.
How to use it
Use it for the sweet Kyushu style of miso soup. It goes well with satsuma-age and root vegetables, and works in hiyajiru or miso dengaku. It also dissolves nicely into simmered pork belly and daikon.