MiSoLa is a Helsinki-based, Japanese run, small food business
offering a range of miso and koji products
all made in Finland using the finest Finnish ingredients.
Our Mission
Our new style of miso is made from grains and peas grown in the clean air and fresh water of Finland, and is suitable for both Japanese and Western cuisine.
There is zero food waste in our process of making koji and miso. We bring you products that are healthy, environment-friendly and tasty.
Origin of our company name
Our company name “MiSoLa”, means “the place for making miso” in Finnish.
It also represents the unique Japanese musical scale and the beautiful blue sky of Finland.
Logo Design
The MiSoLa logo was designed by Mr. Yasuyuki Tamenaga of picnique.
Based on the letter M of MiSoLa, the logo represents three windows through which you can see the beautiful sky and the natural landscape of Finland.
We have also added an image of running up with the three sounds of Misola.
Landscape photographs
All the beautiful Finnish landscape photos on our website were taken in Finland by photographer Miho Kakuta.
We hope you enjoy these beautiful landscape photos that convey the atmosphere of Finland.
Story
MiSoLa was founded by Helsinki-based, Japanese natives Hiroko Ishimori.
Hiroko has previously worked as an editor for fashion and culture magazines based in Tokyo (but has always been passionate about food).
Hiroko has been making miso as a hobby for 15 years.
It is difficult to find tasty miso, or indeed the koji that is needed to make miso, in Finland. Following a casual conversation one day, we decided to take on the challenge of making koji ourselves,
fueled by our desire as mothers to bring safe and delicious Japanese flavours to our children.
The process of making koji takes about 3 days from preparation to completion. In the beginning, we didn’t have a fermenter and so had to use a yoghurt maker in a cooling bag to control the temperature. It was not unusual to be woken up many times in the middle of the night by the sound of the thermometer’s alarm going off. We started with the basic rice koji and now we are continuously researching and developing new types of koji and miso flavours, all made using Finnish ingredients.