Hello!
It's starting to feel quite spring-like.
Before the Layout, the Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms along the Meguro River are in full bloom, and the lovely petals are fluttering in the air in this warm and cheerful weather.
The air is refreshing and pleasant, and it's the long-awaited arrival of spring!
Last time I talked about my morning routine, and afterwards I received a lot of unexpected comments from the staff saying how wonderful it was... Contrary to my battlefield-like morning, the photos seem to exude elegance... I am very grateful.
Among them, we talked a little about fermented foods.
I've always loved fermented foods, and they're an absolute must-have for breakfast.
Kombucha, miso, pickled vegetables, kimchi, sour pickled radish, natto, yogurt, amazake, pickled plums, koji seasonings (onion koji, tomato koji, salt koji, lemon koji, soy sauce koji), koji natto... and more.
Recently, I received some Paradise yeast seeds and have been growing and drinking them.
Even if you count roughly, there are quite a few.
And I want to make as much as possible by hand.
This is the classic rice bran pickles. I knead them every day and love them. The more I love them, the more delicious they become.
My favorites are shallots, myoga ginger, and cabbage.
*What are fermented foods?
It is a food that has been processed by fermenting ingredients using the power of bacteria, etc., and the activity of the bacteria has a beneficial effect on us.
[Effects] Varies depending on ingredients
It has many benefits, including reduced risk of arteriosclerosis, improved diabetes, reduced depressive symptoms, improved dry skin, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, improved immunity, reduced risk of cancer, lowered blood pressure, anti-aging effects, fatigue recovery, improved metabolism, normalized blood cholesterol levels, alleviated allergy symptoms, improved diarrhea, improved immunity, beautiful skin, constipation relief, and weight loss effects!
It's so much fun to make all of them, so I'd like to introduce them all, but this time I'd like to share with you about miso, which is an essential part of my cooking and which I absolutely love and can't get enough of, as I recently made it at my parents' house!
We prepare a year's worth of miso every February.
The contents are very simple
All you need is soybeans, rice koji, barley koji, salt, and soybean boiling water (sweet candy)!!
Wow! Who would have thought that just mixing these ingredients and waiting a year would produce something this delicious! I take my hat off to the wisdom of the people of the past...
It's also very easy to make (although it's a lot of work since we only have 28kg of beans!)
First, ① soak the soybeans in water overnight to soften them.
The soybeans we use are a brand called "Akebono Soybeans," and each grain is very large and chunky.
It is cooked in a kamado (Japanese pot) with firewood added, slowly removing the scum.
Once cooked, they are shiny, fluffy and sweet ♪ And they have a very rich flavor!
Hmm, I think this would make a great snack just by sprinkling salt on it.
and
② The cooked soybeans are put into a machine that looks like an old commercial mincer (the kind that turns meat into minced meat), and the soybeans come out with a slimy texture, spread out flat, and left to cool.
3. While it is cooling, mix the rice koji, barley koji, and salt evenly into the beans in amounts that will fit into each batch.
④ Mix the cooled minced soybeans from ② and the koji from ③ in a large bowl, add the soybean simmered liquid called ame while checking the consistency, and knead well.
⑤ When it has reached a comfortable hardness, about the same thickness as an earlobe, roll it into a ball and flatten it like you would a hamburger steak, removing the air, then toss the miso ball into the miso barrel with all your might.
The child will exclaim, "It's cold and feels good~♪" and become completely clay-like (as expected), but then he'll say, "This clay is so messy, I want to stop now~" (unexpected)
Ding Done
Then I crawl into the kotatsu and watch Curious George.
This happy mouth ♡
This disgusting face -_-
Repeat this process to remove any air bubbles, then wrap tightly and lightly weight the container down, then place it in a cool, sunny place on the north side.
Miso then spends a year slowly aging and fermenting.
Then I realized!
Pecan
The key to the deliciousness of miso
"The deliciousness of the ingredients and the time and effort required"
What else is there?
There is a proverb from the Edo period that goes, "Rather than paying a doctor, pay the miso shop."
There is also a saying that goes, "Miso keeps the doctor away."
It is an incredibly powerful seasoning that protects the body from high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, and other diseases, regulates the intestinal environment, and is also effective for beautiful skin and anti-aging!
This time I'll be talking about my beloved homemade miso from the countryside. I ended up talking about how to make it (lol).
However, please be aware
Learning the traditional flavors and cooking methods of my family and passing them on to my children seems like a very important task right now.
These days, I've been thinking about continuing to weave this ``flavor.''
See you next time!
/text Akiyama