Miso has long been made from a rice and soybean mix based koji culture, but not Hatcho Miso. Original Hatcho Miso has been prepared in the time-honored way since long before the Edo period (1603-1868), using only quality soybeans, natural salt and pure water. The paste is still matured in authentic wooden tubs for over two years to bring you the true taste of tradition.

Maruya Hatcho Miso was established in 1337 in Hatcho-machi (formerly Hacho Village), so named as it was located at a distance of 8-cho, (read ha-cho, or about 870m) west of Okazaki Castle, birthplace of the Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and capital of Mikawa Province. The area was located on the important Tokaido highway, and close to the Yahagi River, two major transportation routes. During the Edo period, nearby wharfs enabled the company to obtain soybeans, and salt from the Shioza, exclusive salt merchants, as well as transport the finished product by boat. Maruya Hatcho Miso was prized by the samurai of Mikawa as battle rations, carried under feudal clan orders, and made famous with the development of the Tokaido route. The prepared ingredients are packed into a huge wooden tub, and sealed with over three tonnes of rocks, piled up by hand like a pyramid on top and left to naturally mature over two summers and two winters. This traditional Hatcho Miso production process continues to this day.

“Hatcho” Miso is so named as it was located at a distance of 8-cho, (read ha-cho, or about 870m) west of Okazaki Castle, birthplace of the Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. It is a naturally fermented, additive-free food, said to have been favored by the first Edo Shogun, and health food connoisseur, Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Miso soup varies widely from region to region. Here is one recipe common to Aichi (serves 4).

Maruya Hatcho Miso
Dashi (dried bonito powder)
Mirin (Japanese sweetened rice wine vinegar)
Shoyu (Japanese soy sauce; note that other types typically have a much thicker consistency and stronger flavour)
Daikon (Chinese or white radish)
Dried wakame (a type of seaweed)
Spring onions

All of the above will definitely be available from any standard Japanese or Asian grocery store, and many supermarkets as well.

Peel the daikon and chop into cubes about 3 cm/1 inch square.
Bring water in the pot to boil and place in the daikon.
Boil until daikon is 75% cooked (about the same consistency if you were boiling potatoes and wanted them firm).
Turn heat down so water is simmering.
From now on do NOT let the water boil.

Add about half a teaspoon of hondashi. This acts as a stock. The more you add, the “fuller body” the flavour, so you may want to experiment a little. Then using a fine sieve (or place the paste in a ladle and mix it into the soup with a fork) gradually dissolve two heaped tablespoons of Maruya Hatcho miso into the soup. Add just a dash of mirin and shoyu (be very careful with the shoyu as too much can completely spoil the mix!) and leave to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The soup is ready when the miso paste has completely dissolved, don’t let it simmer too long. A difference between Hatcho miso and other misos is that it does not lose its flavour when boiled, but it is still not recommended to boil for too long. Serve the soup into bowls, and garnish with the dried wakame and finely chopped spring onions. Never, ever put these into the pot, as the wakame has no need for cooking and the spring onions are there to just add a bit of bite. By the time you take the bowls from the kitchen to the dining room table the wakame will have rehydrated and will be perfectly al dente.

Another popular addition is shellfish. Small clams/cockles work best (make sure they have sat for a few hours in salt water to remove any sand). Here it is important not to overcook them or they become tough and chewy. One way is to first heat the shellfish in the pot with no water (adding water actually leads to a longer cooking time meaning the meat gets too tough). When the shellfish have only just opened remove them, but keep the juice left in the pot as your dashi (stock), so reduce or exclude the hondashi. Proceed as above and just add the shellfish back in prior to serving to reheat.

For the deluxe version, pacific lobster/crayfish is used. The same rules apply here as for shellfish, but generally only the head of the pacific lobster/crayfish is used, the white meat of the tail having been reserved for another dish. Make sure you split the head lengthwise, to allow the insides to be exposed (incidentally, the insides of crabs and pacific lobster/crayfish are also called miso in Japanese).

Miso soup is usually one of the last things served in a meal. It should never be eaten with a spoon. It is meant to be taken directly from the bowl, hot, so you get a full mouthful, which stimulates all of your olfactory senses, with the contents (daikon, wakame etc.) eaten with chopsticks. It is also really good in a thermos/hot flask when out hiking or fishing, or in the lunchbox at work.

Hatcho Miso continues to be produced in the traditional way, providing traditional tastes in a tradition that will be carried on by future generations.

Address:52 Oukan Dori, Hatcho, Okazaki, Aichi 444-0923 JAPAN
TEL:+81-564-22-0222
FAX:+81-564-23-0172
URL:https://www.8miso.co.jp
E-mail:info@8miso.co.jp