Suyakame, a miso maker with over 100 years of history in the temple town of Zenkoji in Nagano City since its founding in 1902. We interviewed Mr. Shigeto Aoki, the owner who has dedicated his life to miso making with the mission of spreading the culture of fermented foods, and asked him about the appeal of fermented foods.
Nagano’s Miso
Miso produced in Nagano Prefecture is called Shinshu Miso. While sharing the same ingredients as white miso or Tsugaru miso, Shinshu miso exhibits a wide range of colors, flavors, and tastes due to variations in the proportions of soybeans and rice, as well as aging period. In fact, Shinshu miso accounts for nearly half of all miso produced in Japan.
Commitment to Miso Making
The key to making miso is using good ingredients, and above all, the techniques of preparation. Because miso uses simple raw materials, the skills and intuition of the craftsmen become crucial. The fermentation and aging processes are said to be the life of miso-making. Suyakame uses wooden barrels over 100 years old for miso aging. Currently, stainless steel tanks that are easier to manage and suitable for mass production have become mainstream. However, miso aged slowly in wooden barrels has a roundness and soft texture that makes it easy to use. The number of businesses making miso in wooden barrels is decreasing, and the craftsmen who make the barrels are aging, with only a handful remaining in the country.
A Decline in Miso Consumption
Recently, many households have been eating bread for breakfast, reducing the opportunities for miso soup to appear on the dining table. The shipping volume of miso, which peaked in 1973, has now decreased to about 70% of that time. If this trend of moving away from miso continues, there will be people in the future who do not know the taste of miso. Therefore, we believe the key is to provide a “taste experience” of miso, and Suyakame has been working on developing processed miso products since the 1970s.
Let’s Enjoy Miso!
The first product they developed was Walnut Miso, a sweet miso finished with walnuts, sugar, and mirin (rice wine). We released it as a side dish miso that could be served directly on the dining table. The side dish miso series now are over 16 varieties. Among these, Curry Miso, which was featured on television, stands out. Made with soy meat and spiced with garam masala, this spicy curry miso pairs well not just with rice but also with bread. Additionally, Miso Soft Serve Ice Cream launched 30 years ago is a bestseller, selling up to 3,000 units in a single day. It has now become a famous specialty along Zenkoji Temple’s main approach. To date, Suyakame has developed over 300 different miso-based processed products.
A New Proposal
With more women entering the workforce and people leading busy lives today, the shop owner, Mr. Aoki says, “we want to help deliver delicious fermented foods to the dining table with minimal effort.” Suyakame continues to convey the culture of miso while adapting to the changing times.
Profile
During his student days, he was a member of a cycling club. Alongside his busy work, he achieved cycling across Japan from north to south at the age of 60. He was even featured in the local newspaper. Incorporating fermented foods into his daily diet is his secret to staying healthy!
