Shizuoka's food cultureKnow

Kinzanji miso is a fermented food made by fermenting grains, and contains ingredients such as winter melon, eggplant, shiso fruit, and ginger. It is a type of "name miso" that is eaten as is, not as a seasoning, but as a side dish or as a snack with alcohol.

It seems that it was originally a preserved food for temples, where summer vegetables were used to eat in winter.

One theory is that miso originated from the monk Shinko Kakushin, who returned from training in Song China during the Kamakura period and brought it to Wakayama Prefecture, but there is also a theory that it was brought back from Tang China by Kukai, the founder of Shingon Buddhism.

Kinzanji miso is produced in various parts of the prefecture, including the western, central and eastern parts, as well as the Izu region.

In the past, people made their own Kinzanji miso at home, but nowadays many households purchase miso produced by commercial miso manufacturers.

Besides Shizuoka Prefecture, it is also eaten in Wakayama Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture, Aichi Prefecture, and other areas.

Ingredients used 

Natto koji (rice koji, soybean koji), winter melon, eggplant, burdock, carrot, fresh ginger, perilla seeds, yellow brown sugar 

How to eat

Koji made from wheat and soybeans is used to pickle summer vegetables such as eggplant, winter melon, ginger, and shiso fruit.

It is eaten as a side dish on top of raw vegetables or tofu, as a snack with alcohol, or on top of freshly cooked rice.

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Our local cuisine）