Summer Miso Making - Kinzanji Miso
Summer Miso Making - Kinzanji Miso
Your homemade miso is truly unique, with a flavour profile that sets it apart from any other.
Kinzanji Miso, in particular, is an exquisite creation crafted with a medley of seasonal vegetables and a trio of distinct koji varieties—rice, barley, and soybean, each one takes 3 days to prepare and ferment immediately before the class by the chef.
This harmonious blend creates a symphony of umami flavours, showcasing both complexity and depth. Traditionally crafted during the warmer months, Kinzanji Miso reaches maturity within a relatively brief fermentation period of 3 months, although it could improve over the following few months.
This variety of miso, known as 'Namemiso,' is best enjoyed as 'accompaniment to food' rather than a cooking ingredient. Its versatility shines when paired with steamed vegetables, meats, or fish, but it's equally delightful with crisp slices of cucumber and celery or a comforting bowl of rice. Surprisingly, Kinzanji miso also makes a delightful addition to a cheese board.
In our class, you'll embark on a journey to create your own signature Kinzanji miso using a selection of seasonal vegetables and fruits sourced from our kitchen. Expect to work with ingredients such as aubergine, ginger, cucumber, carrot, fennel, apple, pear, and more.
Throughout the session, you'll delve into:
- Understanding the role of koji as the fermentation starter for miso.
- Exploring the intricate fermentation process of miso.
- Hands-on instruction on crafting Kinzanji miso.
- Learning about various types of miso and their culinary applications.
Following a variety of food tasting with the Kinzanji Miso from the previous year, you'll take home a jar of freshly prepared Kinzanji miso, ready to mature and develop its rich flavours in the comfort of your own home.
Instructor
Akemi Yokoyama
Akemi Yokoyama has a background in Japanese food provenance, nurtured from her Father, who along with his family foraged and fished throughout the Island of Hokkaido. She is now a Japanese food specialist, chef, presenter and writer based in London. Her regular Japanese cookery classes at Sozai have received very favourable reviews in the UK’s national media, including Time Out and The Telegraph. She has also appeared on the popular TV programmes, C4’s Sunday Brunch and CBBC's Saturday Mash-Up, teaching the presenters how to make sushi. She is also an in demand private chef. She has cooked for celebrities including Tina Turner and Rina Sawayama.
She demonstrates authentic Japanese cooking in the UK and Europe at many diverse events, and she regularly works with the Japanese government’s related organizations promoting Japanese cuisine and sake to the media and public. Her latest culinary interests include all aspects of fermentation and flavour experimentation across multiple food cultures. .
Akemi is a member of the Japanese Culinary Academy UK, is a certified miso sommelier. She has judged Sake category at International Wine Challenge in 2020/2021/2022.
Learnt a lot about making Ramen, while understanding the noddle making process and one I can definitely use for future meals! Really cool class.
I was so pleased with the ramen class that I went home and immediately booked myself onto the miso class in a few weeks.
Akemi's explanations were in-depth, but very easy to understand. The class included a perfect balance of theory, teacher demonstration and hands-on practice. Thank you again!
It’s expensive but worth it - I learned loads and had a wonderful time