Yamauchi Honten Maboroshi no Miso Rice & Barley Blend (山内本店 まぼろしの味噌 米麦あわせ)

The story behind it

Founded in 1751. This brewery in Tamana, Kumamoto, has been making miso and shoyu (soy sauce) since the Edo period, more than 260 years. It has taken the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries award 11 times.

Maboroshi no Miso is the work of Nagata Tomihiro, certified as a Contemporary Master Craftsman. It is brewed from Japanese soybeans, barley and rice, salt, and spring water from Aso. Nothing is added.

This rice-and-barley blend combines the sweetness of rice with the savory depth of barley. It is medium-sweet in the Kyushu manner, but the sweetness does not push forward, so the flavor holds its shape when you pair it with dashi.

Kumamoto has its own food culture, including the use of akazake in cooking. The miso, too, comes out of this region's water and grain.