A long time ago, miso soup was lined up as commonplace at the dining table, like a soul food for the Japanese.
We grew up well with having a miso soup everyday since our bodies wanted them, even though we were not aware that fermented food had an effect on our body. A delicious and warm soup our mother cooked has been engraved in our memories even now as a primal scene decorating the dining table of the family.
Miso soup has been an important ingredient to heal and maintain our bodies.
Recently, however, miso soup is changing under great circumstances.

I’m not sure when I tasted it last time, it might be a long time ago.
Actually, more and more people become like this.
Japan’s food style has rapidly become more westernized, and there are less opportunities to have miso soup with more meals out of the house, recently Japanese people have less chances to taste it even once a week, let alone every day.
‘I’m too lazy to make stock, and I don’t want to spend time making small amounts.’
‘Bread is popular at breakfast every day, and miso soup doesn’t match with bread.’
‘Having it everyday gets boring.’
As stated above, there are many reasons to not have miso soup.
Will miso soup become a minor food eventually?
I would like to be free to have my favorite food, miso soup, more often, when I want to, and I wish many people would do so, too.
With such strong mindsets, the concept of MISO POTA KYOTO was born.
It is also the beginning of our unique miso soup.

It bases on great stock, it satisfies even with a small amount, the flavors work well with non-Japanese foods, and it’s colors look gorgeous.
We produced a brand new “drink meal” with rich textures and flavors such as potage, blended with many ingredients, and exquisitely blended with miso’s familiar umami.
MISO POTA was named from the healing sound of dripping “potari”, caused by the creamy soup.
It doesn’t look like miso soup, but you will feel something nostalgic and warm-feeling with one sip.
A new miso soup has been born.

My friend gave me an idea in the process of making a new miso soup.
Making miso will take over one year, from one winter to the next.
It sounds like miso is one of the best slow-cooking ingredients (taking over a year). Miso soup is made with miso, but can be prepared quickly (fast food). Therefore, miso soup should be made with pride.
I was impressed with this expression. I would like our miso soup to be the best fast food in Japan for busy people who care of their health.
MISO POTA adopted a Macrobiotic recipe, using not only miso but nutritious organic vegetables based on the beliefs of Whole Foods Market.
It is the beginning of the challenge for MISO POTA to become the best fast food.

It is very important to keep the body warm to be healthy.
When you have a warm miso soup, your body gets warm, and your mind feels calm.
We position MISO POTA as a way to help accelerate body warmth. We think about working creatively so that MISO POTA can be eaten everyday.

There are more reasons we think about working creatively for people to have miso soup everyday than keeping people’s body warm.
One miso producing company told me very serious numerical values.

There was 7.7kg of miso consumption for each person in 1968, it decreased to 3.8kg in 2008.
* According to data from the Japan Federation of Miso Manufacturers Cooperatives

I was surprised to hear this data, as I didn’t think the miso consumption was so low.

We understand that miso production continually decreases, and many miso producing companies will go out of business. I worry that it will be hard to get miso in the future. Then, miso soup will be a minor food; moreover it may disappear from diets in Japan.

I have a big dream which I would like to accomplish in MISO POTA KYOTO’s project.
I would like to keep my favorite cultural aspect, having miso soup, even 100 years later.

By MISO POTA KYOTO proposing to a new miso soup, many people who rarely have miso soup currently will eat it after a long time.
As our brand ripples outwards gradually, we will keep proposing new miso soups to trigger the cultural aspect of having miso soup, even after a long time.

The reason why MISO POTA KYOTO starts in Kyoto is because it always adds an innovation to tradition while continuing to keep the traditions.
We would be happy if you support our new style of miso soup.

March 30, 2016
Miyuki Toko
Sunaona Chikara Corporation, managing MISO POTA KYOTO