Maeda, the trained chef behind Nelson's Urban Hippie Miso, tired of hunting miso paste down only to find imported, industrial brands that were pricey to boot. "It's a very important part of Japanese culture and meals, but it was so expensive," he says. "The quality is also not so good sometimes. This is really why I started to make my own." He'd never made miso on a large scale before, but the dearth of good miso in New Zealand proved too tantalising an opportunity.

The middle sibling of three, Maeda remembers seasonal vegetables and fish were always on the family menu when growing up in suburban Tokyo. Miso was there too, store-bought but very like the paste he now makes. A working visa brought him to New Zealand in 1998; a self-confessed "ski bum" and snowboarder (with fly fishing, surfing, and guiding in his outdoorsy bag of tricks), he landed in Wanaka for the snow. There he met fellow ski enthusiast and future wife Mie, also Japanese, and after alternating seasonal work at ski fields with stints in local restaurants (and a brief spell back home), the couple married and chose to settle in Nelson for the sun and hip coastal vibe.

While his chef skills paid the bills initially, Maeda yearned for self-sustainability and a more satisfying pace. "When you work in a restaurant, that's it," he recalls. "You are there so much, and that is your life, so I wanted something that would give me free time, something that would be fun but still make a little money." Urban Hippie was born.

Ask Takehito Maeda what miso is and he'll casually tell you it's a condiment. But unlike the Kiwi table staple of tomato sauce, this flavourful fermented Japanese side takes time. An alchemical blend of beans, grains, and salt, its fans know the paste for its umami or savoury nature, and it is also a bona fide 'slow food,' with some taking years to ripen.

nit's a very important part of ] apanese culture and

meals, but it was so expensive."

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Crafting miso is a two-step process, but by no means simple. At its core is kojikin-kin or koji, a fungus vital to fermenting traditional Japanese food and beverages. At Urban Hippie, Maeda infuses steamed rice and sea salt with the koji. After fermenting for a few days, pressure-cooked, ground soybeans are added. The weekly batches are small (no more than 15 kilograms each) but require patient hands. When I visit his kitchen, he's atop a step propped at

Takehito Maeda blends his miso using premium GE-free sushi rice, organic soybeans and Marlborough sea salt.

High in protein, two Chinese studies also found it

diminished inflammation in the body and reduced

blood pressure. Best of all, the paste is uniquely

delicious, and not solely the domain of the crunchy

vegetable set. Celebrated chefs Masaharu Morimoto

and Nobu Matsuhisa have taken the humble staple to

new heights in the US, and it's getting better known

on our shores as well.

Miso is elemental in Japanese soups, marinades, and

in a variety of culinary twists. Three basic recognised

types exist: shiromiso (white miso), akamiso (red

miso), and awasemiso (mixed miso). Urban Hippie

miso falls into the first category, the most popular

style in Japan. It can be comprised of anything from

soybean, barley and rice to rye, buckwheat, or hemp

seed, though modern producers are even using

adzuki beans, amaranth, corn, and quinoa. Along with

colour and taste, age is also a marker for miso, with

some fermented for up to three years. Hatcho miso

is most well known, it gets two years in cedar barrels

to create its dark pallor and rich palate; this was the

miso donated to victims of Chernobyl soon after the

tragedy to prevent radiation sickness.

Apart from its reputation as a free-radical fighter,

miso is also a powerhouse of essential amino acids.

For more information - Urban Hippie Miso www.miso.co.nz

Clockwise from top left: The Urban Hippie range; Takehito Maeda at his weekly market stall in Nelson.

Maeda is keen to reach more customers, but is happy being small. Like other craftsmen doing one item and doing it well, he aims to establish the Urban Hippie brand before passing it to the next Maeda generation. "Everywhere, even here, I think some people start to make something but always with an eye on selling the business. In Japan, like with soba (noodles), the maker does only that one thing and is known for it. That," he says, "is what I want to do." 0

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Until Urban Hippie came along, no New Zealand­ made commercial miso existed, and Maeda admits coaxing Kiwis to try the mostly unknown product was daunting at first. With typical Kiwi can-do, one core product now in his simple line-up is a take on Marmite, called Misomite. "Before I started, I thought 'How am I going to sell miso to Kiwis?"' he says, grinning wryly. "It has been a challenge, but I like encouraging people who have never had miso to try it, and if they can taste it, many will buy my Misomite because it's so like what they know."

Now, fans of Maeda's Urban Hippie range include Auckland restaurants Cocoro and Soto, both of which keep the miso in the pantry. Nelsonians can buy from his weekly market stall, while he also offers on line sales and limited quantities shipped to 15 stores around the country.

the counter mixing the mass by hand to ensure the salt, fermented rice and bean meld thoroughly. The unpasteurised paste then ferments for no less than six months. So, long before Urban Hippie's first sale at Nelson's Saturday market in January this year, a cache of miso had been ripening.

Using premium GE-free sushi rice, organic soybeans from nearby Motueka, and Marlborough sea salt, Takehito Maeda makes what has been served at Asian tables for centuries. Miso's likely predecessor originated in China during the 3rd century BC, and, along with other fermented soy foods, was taken to Japan in tandem with Buddhism sometime in the 6th century AD. More than 2,500 commercial producers of varying sizes now exist in Japan leaving little need for homemade varieties.

DISH • PROFILE - URBAN HIPPIE