Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Where Your Contribution Counts!
    eNewsletter
    Support Us!

Gluten-free Miso


BRUMI1968

Recommended Posts

BRUMI1968 Collaborator

Hi guys. Anyone hear of a commercially available gluten-free miso? I'm not sure I'll eat it (waiting for Enterolab on my soy thing), but since it is fermented, it's not BAD soy, like most of it. BUT...it's traditionally made from barley, so most companies make a barley variety, thus, in my mind, making their equipment unsuitable to make nonbarley kind w/o having any gluten in it.

Any thoughts?

Anyone make their own miso?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



kenlove Rising Star

I've never had problems with miso made from 100% daizo or with hacho miso from Nagoya. Usuallyhave to bring it from Japan though. Even here in Hawaii where there are many choices for miso I cant find one without mugi in it.

Hi guys. Anyone hear of a commercially available gluten-free miso? I'm not sure I'll eat it (waiting for Enterolab on my soy thing), but since it is fermented, it's not BAD soy, like most of it. BUT...it's traditionally made from barley, so most companies make a barley variety, thus, in my mind, making their equipment unsuitable to make nonbarley kind w/o having any gluten in it.

Any thoughts?

Anyone make their own miso?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kenlove Rising Star

I've never had problems with miso made from 100% daizo or with hacho miso from Nagoya. Usuallyhave to bring it from Japan though. Even here in Hawaii where there are many choices for miso I cant find one without mugi in it.

Hi guys. Anyone hear of a commercially available gluten-free miso? I'm not sure I'll eat it (waiting for Enterolab on my soy thing), but since it is fermented, it's not BAD soy, like most of it. BUT...it's traditionally made from barley, so most companies make a barley variety, thus, in my mind, making their equipment unsuitable to make nonbarley kind w/o having any gluten in it.

Any thoughts?

Anyone make their own miso?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
missy'smom Collaborator

I'm not quite ready to post on it but a friend made miso for me and is now in the process of ordering the koji for me. When it comes in she's going to give me the recipie and maybe teach me how to make it. It may be a while, but I'll post on it when I have more info to share. Sorry it's not more helpful right now.

I also bought quinoa miso in Japan from a company that specializes in products free of allergens. I don't believe that they ship to the U.S. but you can have it shipped to someone in country and then have them ship it to you. Not a viable option for most I'm sure.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kenlove Rising Star

The quiona miso is not bad. Same place as quinoa soy sauce which is really good too.

In my 30's I had bottles of sake left at friends restaurants around Tokyo.

In my 40's I had bottles of shochu left at friends restaurants around Tokyo.

In my 50's I had bottles of gluten free shoyu and miso left at friends restaurants around Tokyo!

Times sure do change!

I'm not quite ready to post on it but a friend made miso for me and is now in the process of ordering the koji for me. When it comes in she's going to give me the recipie and maybe teach me how to make it. It may be a while, but I'll post on it when I have more info to share. Sorry it's not more helpful right now.

I also bought quinoa miso in Japan from a company that specializes in products free of allergens. I don't believe that they ship to the U.S. but you can have it shipped to someone in country and then have them ship it to you. Not a viable option for most I'm sure.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fiddle-Faddle Community Regular

We make miso with Shinshu Shiro Miso paste (bought at the Asian grocery, sold in little tubs or packets in the refrigerator section). The only ingredients are soybean, rice, and salt. We add to this a broth made from hon-dashi powder (ingredients: salt, msg, lactose, sugar, dried bonito tuna powder, disodium inosinate, bonito extract, yeast, extract, disodium succinate--lotsa chemicals, yuck, but no gluten).

If you want to skip the chemicals, you could use vegetable broth, or you could make shrimp shell broth: save the shells from when you shell your shrimp before cooking. Add them to 2 cups water and 1 cup rice wine, and boil til shells turn pink. Strain and enjoy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BRUMI1968 Collaborator

Thanks all!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Juliebove Rising Star

I believe chickpea miso is gluten free. Kind of hard to find though. I had to order it online and then I found that I don't like it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fiddle-Faddle Community Regular

I reread your original post, and saw that you said most miso is traditionally made from barley?

Does that refer to miso made from powdered mixes, or to the real thing? Most Japanese (people and restaurants) make miso from miso paste (which is fermented soybeans, rice, and salt), not from the powdered mixes And I haven't seen barley listed on miso paste ingredients--are they leaving it off the ingredient list?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
NewGFMom Contributor

I got some trader joes brand instant Miso soup and it definitely did not list barley on the ingredients, and theoretically TJ's will not hide barley.

Weird.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
hathor Contributor
I believe chickpea miso is gluten free. Kind of hard to find though. I had to order it online and then I found that I don't like it.

Well, that's my answer. I can't have soy either. I have a book with recipes that are supposed to avoid all the major allergens and it uses the chickpea miso. I've been unwilling to order the stuff without knowing what it is like.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
missy'smom Collaborator
I reread your original post, and saw that you said most miso is traditionally made from barley?

Does that refer to miso made from powdered mixes, or to the real thing? Most Japanese (people and restaurants) make miso from miso paste (which is fermented soybeans, rice, and salt), not from the powdered mixes And I haven't seen barley listed on miso paste ingredients--are they leaving it off the ingredient list?

The koji(yeast) is OFTEN grown on barley and is NOT usually listed as an ingredient. So yes, they are leaving it off the ingredient list. You have to call or contact the company to find out. The miso itself is usually made with soybeans but some miso from certain regions of Japan has barley as an ingredient in the finished product and in that case it would show up on a label.

It is my understanding that MSG in some countries can be derived from gluten sources. On the Triumph dining cards for Japanese it lists MSG in the I Cannot Eat section. Miso is also listed in the I Cannot Eat section for the reasons above.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sickchick Community Regular

I have not had Miso in a long time....

I do however use Bragg's Liquid Amino's not soy sauce.

good luck!

sickchick

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fiddle-Faddle Community Regular
The koji(yeast) is OFTEN grown on barley and is NOT usually listed as an ingredient.

But neither koji nor yeast are listed on the ingredient list.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
missy'smom Collaborator
But neither koji nor yeast are listed on the ingredient list.

Open Original Shared Link</a>

Yeast is the easiest word that came to mind to translate "koji" but here's one place that explains the process. And yes koji is often not listed, at least in my experience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fiddle-Faddle Community Regular

Great site! THanks for posting.

Ah--our miso is white miso--that explains why rice was listed and why barley wasn't--I'm assuming it's safe, but I'll check the other kinds of miso next time I go to the Asian grocery.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
missy'smom Collaborator

I hope it was helpful. I always assume guilty until proven innocent! ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
missy'smom Collaborator

Here is the response from a company that I contacted.

Re: Gluten‏

From: Deb Duchin (srmiso@southrivermiso.com)

Sent: Mon 11/12/07 12:40 PM

To: Missy's Mom

Missy's Mom -

Thanks for your e-mail.

At South River Miso we make 10 varieties of miso - 8 of them have no gluten ingredients.

However, I should tell you that the culture used in our miso making is originally started on barley, harvested in miniscule portions (and we believe no barley comes away with the culture) and then extended on potato starch. Also the 8 varieties of miso with no gluten ingredients are made in the same building where the barley is made.

I know that there is a whole spectrum of gluten intolerance. For some the above information is of concern; for others it is not. You need to decide for yourself your level of intolerance.

I hope this information helps answer your questions.

Deb

----- Original Message -----

From: Missy's Mom

To: mail@southrivermiso.com

Sent: Friday, November 09, 2007 8:57 AM

Subject: Gluten

I heard about your company through a Japanese friend who makes her own miso with your brown rice koji. I must adhere to a strict gluten-free diet, which means that barley in any form is off limits. I am aware that barley is frequently used in the process of making miso and is an ingredient in the final product at times. Any information about barley, gluten and the possiblility for cross-comtamination in your products as well as miso making supplies, like koji, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Missy's Mom

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
Carol the Dabbler Apprentice

I've been wondering about miso myself, so it's great to see that there's a current thread!

My all-time favorite brand is Miso Master. Their products are utterly delicious, all-organic, and made in the traditional Japanese way. As long as you stay away from their Barley Miso, their products are free from any overt gluten ingredients. HOWEVER, they are aged in large wooden vats, and (as has has often been discussed on this and other celiac forums) it's hard-going-on-impossible to clean all of the gluten out of wood. So unless they have one or more dedicated vats for each flavor, no one could really say for sure whether (or not) there is any barley residue in their nominally non-barley misos.

I have emailed them, and will post their reply here.

I have used their Chickpea Miso, by the way, and really liked it. The flavor is similar to any pale-colored miso. It makes a really good "chicken" broth.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BRUMI1968 Collaborator

Just got my Interolab results back, and turns out I am sensitive to soy (don't really eat any, so not a huge concern...but was hoping for the miso). Oh Well!

Thanks to all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Carol the Dabbler Apprentice
... I am sensitive to soy (... not a huge concern...but was hoping for the miso).

Well, there's always the Miso Master Chickpea Miso. It's made with rice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BRUMI1968 Collaborator

I'm pretty sure all the misos have soy, and that the rice or barley or chickpea is just the medium. However, I've got an email into the company. Unless you're telling me the packaging says it does not contain soy?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Carol the Dabbler Apprentice

Well, their web site (Open Original Shared Link) lists the following ingredients: Organic chickpeas, Organic partially polished brown rice, sun-dried sea salt, well water.

As has already been mentioned, there is the question of trace ingredients in the koji, as well as possible traces of barley miso left in the wooden vats. But the ingredients are both soy-free and gluten-free.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Carol the Dabbler Apprentice

I just got this reply from Open Original Shared Link regarding their Chickpea Miso, as well as their other non-barley misos:

Hi Carol,

In response to your question about gluten and Chickpea miso:

We developed the Miso Master Chickpea Miso with folks in mind who have soy allergy, using chickpeas instead of soybeans, but it is also beneficial for folks who must avoid gluten, since the starter culture is grown on rice. Ingredients are: Organic whole chickpeas, organic handmade rice koji, sun dried sea salt, Blue Ridge Mtn well water, koji spores.

All our misos, with the exception of Country Barley Miso and Mellow Barley Miso, are gluten free as far as the ingredients go. They contain soybeans (except for Chickpea miso, which is soy-free), and a starter called koji, which is grown on rice. The name of the miso denotes the grain on which the koji is grown, therefore Brown Rice miso is actually made from soybeans, koji grown on brown rice, water and salt. In the case of the barley misos, the koji is grown on barley. After the grain is cultured by the koji, it is mixed with the cooked soybeans and placed in large wooden barrels to undergo natural fermentation, resulting in the finished miso.

We do make the barley miso in the same facility as the other miso, however the rice-koji misos and the barley-koji misos are fermented in separate barrels and all the equipment is thoroughly cleaned between uses and maintained to the highest standards. Because the barley miso is made in the same facility as the others, we cannot guarantee there is no cross-contamination, but make every effort to insure there is none.

I hope this gives you the information you need.

Many Thanks

Miss Brett Martin

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BRUMI1968 Collaborator

I got that email as well. Thanks so much. At my local co-op, they only sell the huge container of the chickpea variety, but the small containers of the others. It is something I'd want to test out - I don't really eat legumes either, but it is fermented, so it should be better than non-fermented.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Help Celiac.com:
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - Julie Riordan replied to Julie Riordan's topic in Traveling with Celiac Disease
      3

      Any ideas for travelling

    2. - trents replied to SuzanneL's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Weak Positive Test

    3. - SuzanneL posted a topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Weak Positive Test

    4. - Scott Adams replied to Braver101's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      2

      Constant sweating with celiac disease

    5. - Scott Adams replied to Julie Riordan's topic in Traveling with Celiac Disease
      3

      Any ideas for travelling


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      120,495
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Zofosho
    Newest Member
    Zofosho
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.2k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):




  • Who's Online (See full list)


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Julie Riordan
      I am going to France in two weeks and then to Portugal in May   Thanks for your reply 
    • trents
      Welcome to the forum, @SuzanneL! Which tTG was that? tTG-IGA? tTG-IGG? Were there other celiac antibody tests run from that blood draw? Was total IGA measured? By some chance were you already cutting back on gluten by the time the blood draw was taken or just not eating much? For the celiac antibody tests to be accurate a person needs to be eating about 10g of gluten daily which is about 4-6 pieces of bread.
    • SuzanneL
      I've recently received a weak positive tTG, 6. For about six years, I've been sick almost everyday. I was told it was just my IBS. I have constant nausea. Sometimes after I eat, I have sharp, upper pain in my abdomen. I sometimes feel or vomit (bile) after eating. The doctor wanted me to try a stronger anti acid before doing an endoscopy. I'm just curious if these symptoms are pointing towards Celiac Disease? 
    • Scott Adams
      I'm sorry to hear about what you're going through. It must be really frustrating and uncomfortable. Have you talked to your healthcare provider about these sudden sweating episodes? It might be helpful to discuss this with them to rule out any other underlying issues or to see if there are specific strategies or treatments that can help manage this symptom. Additionally, staying hydrated and wearing breathable clothing may provide some relief. 
    • Scott Adams
      I am not sure where you are going, but we have articles in this section which may be helpful: https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/gluten-free-travel/ 
×
×
  • Create New...