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Drink · Japan
Nihonshu
Japanese sake, a fermented beverage made from rice, koji and water. It is an official geographical indication of Japan and is served chilled, at room temperature, or warm, in small cups.
Flavors · Takayama
Hoba miso
Koji miso with scallion and mushrooms, roasted on a dry magnolia leaf (hoba) over a small tabletop brazier. A dish from the Hida-Takayama region in the mountains of Gifu.
Traditional dish from Takayama, Gifu
Also known as: Hoba-miso, 朴葉味噌, Hobamiso
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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Hoba miso — Takayama, Japan
Hoba miso is miso roasted on a large dry Japanese magnolia leaf (hoba). The leaf is placed over a small brazier or grill, and koji miso mixed with scallion, mushrooms and other seasonings is heated until it bubbles. The leaf imparts its aroma to the miso, which is eaten with rice or served as a drinking snack.
According to Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, there are several explanations for its origin, and the most cited comes from the Hida region, where logging was important: woodcutters used hoba leaves as plates to roast miso in the mountains. Winters in Hida and Takayama were so cold that food froze, and families reheated preserved foods and miso on leaves over a ground fire. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, the dish grew out of preservation techniques used during Hida’s winters.
The leaves fall in autumn already dry and brown, and are collected and stored before winter. The custom moved into homes and, from the 1960s, hoba miso began to be sold as a souvenir.
Today, besides miso, many people put Hida beef, mushrooms or scallion on the leaf. Hoba miso is served at inns and restaurants in Takayama, often at breakfast, and the city’s product has local certification.
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Where it comes from
Takayama, Gifu
A dish from the Hida-Takayama region.
Ingredients
Koji miso, dry magnolia leaf (hoba), scallion, mushrooms; sometimes beef, preserved foods.
How it is eaten
Roasted at the table on the leaf over a brazier; mixed and eaten with white rice or as a snack.
When it is eaten
All year; a tradition from Hida’s winters.
Your questions
Questions about Hoba miso
How is hoba miso eaten?
The miso is heated on the dry magnolia leaf over a small tabletop brazier until it bubbles. Then it is eaten with white rice or as a snack.
Is the magnolia leaf eaten?
No. The leaf serves as a plate to roast the miso and gives it aroma; it is not eaten.
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Beyond the guide
