Melbourne resident Saeko Iida arrived in Australia in 2011 on a working holiday visa.
Her life took a turn when her child, who is now 10 years old suffered severe eczema and food allergy as a baby.
In a quest to find treatment, Ms Iida began her research and realised the importance of gut health to maintain a healthy immune system and how the traditional fermented foods held the key.
Ms Iida says although these foods are not medicines, in her son's case, homemade miso, essential for the Japanese diet, has dramatically improved her child's eczema.
Her desire to share miso with the wider Australian public grew, establishing Koji and Co, a fermented food manufacturer in Melbourne, in 2019.
Saeko Iida makes her own koji grains. Credit: Saeko Iida
She imports koji-spores from Japan to make her own koji-rice (responsible for the fermentation process of many Japanese foods) and makes miso in the traditional "kioke" - made of cedar trees from Akita prefecture.
Akita cedar tubs and barrels have long been used to make miso, sake, soy sauce, and other fermented foods essential to the Japanese diet.
The tub provides a perfect environment for fermentation, regulating both moisture and temperature, allowing the microorganisms to adhere to the tub and stay active for years.
The wooden tub is not just a container, but an essential ingredient to authentically ferment miso. Credit: DAISUKE KONDO
However, with mass production and the widespread use of plastic in recent years, the use of these tubs is declining, she explains.
There is now a movement in Japan to revive these traditional tubs. Ms Iida believes there is much potential for their use overseas, where fermented foods have increasingly received attention in the recent times.
At the markets in Melbourne, Ms Iida sells her miso in a traditional way, scooping them out of the Akita tubs.
She also suggests ways to incorporate miso easily into the diet, such as dips and dressings.
Her customers' feedback allows Ms Iida to discover new ways to eat the traditional condiment as well.
"Chickpea white miso is prefect when served with buttered bread. Some like them with avocado," she says.
For Ms Iida's full interview, listen below.
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