1. Starting from the Heian period, miso was a valuable food since it was used as a salary or gift rather than to be consumed

2. The military often took miso to the battlefield in the Sengoku period

3. Miso paste became popular because of the high demand in the Edo period

4. In the Showa period, miso began to be easily stored in refrigerators and miso with dashi stock was also created. 

Miso’s ingredients are soybeans, koji (fermentation starter), salt, and water. Similar to miso paste types, koji also have different types such as rice koji, barley koji, and soybean koji. So the miso type is based on the koji that is being used. Rice koji makes rice miso, barley koji makes barley miso, and soybean koji makes soybean miso. However, miso made in Japan mostly rice miso with different colors and tastes in each region. 

Miso is rich in glutamic acid which helps prevent obesity and keep beautiful skin. Other than that, miso also improves digestion, strengthens immune systems, reduces cholesterol, and helps ease stress.

In the Hirano farm visit activity, besides learning miso-making, I also want to communicate with the local people about living with the farm every day. Especially, I am especially interested in the technology used in farms in Japan and farming tips without crop fields. 

After getting the miso paste, I want to try different recipes that combine miso paste with seafood and vegetables. 

-Jasmine