Nothing like a bowl of miso when you come home in the evening, nourishing, invigorating and soothing. It's also a good source of probiotics, B12 and protein.
While I was at Mitsuwa some time ago, I had the honor of meeting Shintaro Asai the president of Maruya Hatcho Miso. He was there promoting his product. Asai-San told me he was in the U.S. for Ming Tsai's cooking show. When I first met Asai-San, the humble gentleman struck me as someone who was more than passionate about the product he was selling. His desire to keep the tradition to prepare the best miso along with his pride that his son will continue the family tradition of over 400 hundred years was heart touching and inspiring.
Organic, kosher miso. I had to ask him so many questions, about being organic, non-gmo. The polite, salt and pepper-haired gentlemen in his traditional garb answered all my questions very patiently. One sip of the rich miso - he won me over. I don't think I could ever go back to drinking regular miso - it's like once you have tasted the best, you only want that. Miso, texture and taste, is like wine, each unique and with a distinct flavor. Hatcho miso is robust and rich. You could feel the good vibrations that it was prepared with. There is no metal in the structure where the miso is made, only wood and stone. The miso is prepared only with salt and soy in a slow procedure that takes two and a half years. The soy is supplied to Asai-San, by his school friend, so he knows the source.
It's rare that we find people like Asai-San, who don't want to take shortcuts to mass produce in order to sell a successful product! Instead here is someone who is proud of his family business, someone who is interested in preserving the fine quality of miso and ensuring that the tradition is passed down from generation to generation. Arigato Asai-San to you and your family for sharing your prized miso with the world.
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| Shintoro Asai, President of Maruya Hatcho Miso Ltd.
Cheers,
Jyoti
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