There are two basic types of miso in Japan. Shiromiso (“white miso”) is a light, less dense type of miso, commonly used in Kyoto cuisine and with lighter dishes throughout Japan. Different varieties of shiromiso are made across Japan, using combinations of soy with rice and barley. Akamiso (“mame- miso”) is only made from soy, and is most popular in the Chubu region (central Japan). Frequently in the home blends are made by mixing favoured brands of shiro and aka miso for a unique flavour. Hatcho miso is a variety of aka miso renowned for its dense, rich flavour and relatively low salt content (5-12% salt compared with up to 18% for some varieties of rice based miso).
Maruya Hatcho miso is known as a tennen jozo (naturally fermented food). The Mikawa region is ideal for the traditional manufacturing of soybean-based miso. Mikawa has long, humid summers, and relatively short, mild winters (it very rarely snows here). As this temperature regime would over-accelerate rice or barley based fermentation processes, it suits the soybean perfectly, which has fewer carbohydrates than rice or barley. This is an ideal environment in which to ferment 100% soy into a high quality miso paste, suitable for use as soup and as a base for making sauces for a wide variety of dishes.