Nihon Chomiryo Tabi
Ii Shoten Barley Miso (井伊商店 麦みそ)
The story behind it
Ii Shoten is a small miso maker in Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture. Since it was founded in 1958, it has made its barley miso the same way.
Barley miso is usually made by combining barley koji with soybeans and salt. Ii Shoten's barley miso uses no soybeans at all. It has just two ingredients: naked barley grown in Ehime or Kagawa, and salt made in Kagawa.
The bag reads "the taste of home, handmade miso." It has long supported home cooking and local dishes in Uwajima, and in February 2026 it was featured on the Japanese TV show "Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai."
How to use it
For everyday miso soup. Spread it on rice balls made with freshly cooked rice, or use it for miso dengaku with konnyaku or tofu. It is also used in tai-satsuma, a local Uwajima dish of sea bream and miso.