Barley Soy Miso

Background

This is an awase-style miso, using a mix of barley from River Valley Community Grains and soybeans as the substrate. The process involves cooking the grains and beans, combining them with koji, and allowing the mixture to ferment. We want to develop a miso with additional depth and nutiness, with a characteristically grain-based flavor.

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Recipe

Ingredients

450g Cooked Barley

450g Cooked Soybeans

900g Koji

90g Salt (5%)

Equipment

Large Pot

Blender

Fermentation Vessel

Instructions

1. Soak & Cook Soybeans
   Soak the soybeans overnight. Strain and boil them in a large pot until tender; it is difficult to overcook them.

2. Cook Barley
   Separately, cook the barley until it is just tender.

3. Combine & Blend
   Combine the cooked soybeans and barley. Blend until the mixture is coarse but can be easily mushed between your hands.

4. Mix
   Add the koji and salt to the blended substrate and mix thoroughly to combine.

5. Pack
   Form the mixture into balls and pack them tightly into a fermentation vessel to remove any air pockets.

Notes and Observations

• This recipe uses a 1:1 ratio of koji to substrate, which is typical for an awase, or mixed, miso.
• The salt is calculated at 5% of the total weight of the substrate and koji combined.
• The final flavor is great, miso-like but distinctively nutty. Preditably, it shares many characteristics with a Doenjang.
• It is sweeter than a traditional miso owing to the digestion of starches from the amylase enzymes - you can dial in the sweetness and nutiness by adusting the ratio of soybean (for more umami) and barley (for more sweetness).