🍶Miso in Cedar and Jar－A Tale of Two Vessels（Part 1）

🪵 Preparing Miso in a Wooden Bucket

When I first started making miso, I prepared two small enamel containers, thinking they’d fit neatly in the fridge. But once I mixed the ingredients, there was far too much miso to fit—and in the end, I never used them at all.

Instead, I turned to a ceramic crock. I liked its earthy presence and quiet charm. But recently, I learned something intriguing: when a wooden bucket is used over time, microorganisms settle into the wood, giving the miso a flavor unique to that particular vessel. That idea stayed with me, and I decided to try using a traditional Akita cedar bucket.

🏡 A Childhood Memory

When I was a child, my family kept miso in wooden buckets stored in the kura—a dark, cool storehouse behind our home. The air inside was thick with the scent of miso, a little scary and a little nostalgic.

It was also the “punishment room.” If we misbehaved, we’d be threatened with being locked inside.

I don’t remember ever being shut in myself, but I do recall my younger brother shouting from within. He was always let out quickly, of course.

Now, we don’t have a kura anymore. I wondered if the scent of miso might fill the whole house… but decided to store the bucket under the kitchen floor instead.

🧼 Preparing the Wooden Bucket

• Soaked the bucket overnight in lukewarm water with a splash of vinegar
• Worried it might leak, but it held up beautifully
• The next morning, the rim was slightly damp—probably normal
• The wood had visibly swelled; the change was clear to the touch

🍱 Filling the Bucket with Miso

The wood grain was so beautiful, it made me feel excited to begin.

After packing the miso into the bucket, I covered it with plastic wrap, spread a layer of salt (sealed in a bag) over the top, placed an inner lid, then an outer lid, covered everything with newspaper, tied it with string, and wrote the date and ingredients on the paper before placing it under the kitchen floor.

Ingredients

• Soybeans: 1.5 kg
• Fresh koji: 1.5 kg
• Salt: 750 g

The wooden bucket holds 3 kg, so the remaining miso went into the ceramic crock—about half full.

I sealed it tightly with plastic wrap, added the salt bag, and placed a plate on top as a weight.

Both the wooden bucket and the crock were filled on the same day, with the same ingredients.

I’m already looking forward to seeing how their flavors differ after a year.