Mugi miso

Miso d’orge (mugi)

What it is

Barley koji instead of rice makes the country miso of Kyushu, Shikoku and the north of Kanto — barley grew where the rice went to the tax collector, so farmhouses fermented what they kept. The husks stay visible in the paste and the sweetness reads bready rather than clean.

In the kitchen

Dissolve it in a ladle of hot broth off the heat and never let it boil — the aroma is gone inside a minute. It is the miso for pork and root vegetables; pass it through a strainer if you want a clear soup rather than a grainy one.

Goes with

Pork Daikon Negi Burdock root Sweet potato Rice koji Silken tofu (kinugoshi)

Same species

Barley Barley malt syrup Beer vinegar Diastatic malt powder Roasted barley tea

Also used with

Barley koji

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