"Saikyo Miso" is familiar in the Kansai region including Kyoto. It is easy to think of it as a general term for white miso, but it was originally a brand of a specific manufacturer (miso brewery). The product name has become so widespread that it seems to be a general name including similar products. It's the same as a "stapler" or a "thermos".


By the way, the manufacturer name is "Saikyo Miso". It is a miso brewery that follows the tradition of the Honda Miso Main Store, which was founded about 200 years ago in Ichijo, Muromachi, Kyoto.

I caught the information that bread using such original Saikyo miso is appearing in the bakery "Boulangerie Lecan" in Ginza for a limited time. How is the combination of Saikyo miso and bread? I was curious, so I decided to go to the store to check it out.

■ Go to Ginza Boulangerie Lecan in search of Saikyo miso bread

The location of Lecan is just outside the Higashi-Ginza subway station. The blue tent is a landmark.


Is it really a bakery? The prestigious store is so prestigious that it has a French restaurant "Rotisserie L'Ecan". It would be great if we could To go the delicious bread we had at the restaurant. Both restaurants opened about a year ago, but the original restaurant "Ginza Lecan" is a long-established restaurant founded in 1974 (Ginza Lecan is currently closed).

After passing through the door, the bread sales space is on the left and the restaurant entrance is on the right.


A counter that integrates product shelves and cash registers. Even though the space is small, there are many types of bread to line up. Danish pastry such as croissants, mini-sized campagne, sweet muffins with chocolate and caramel, chapata and cornbread. * The photo shows the lineup immediately after the store opens (around 10:30).


In addition, baguettes and campagnes on the back shelf,


Sandwiches and cakes are lined up in the showcase facing the entrance on the left side of the counter.


There are two types of bread made with Saikyo miso. "Saikyo Miso and Nuts Tartine" (350 yen plus tax) and "Saikyo Miso & Jalapeno" (280 yen plus tax). What kind of bread is it made?


■ Saikyo miso and nut tartine

French toast made from campagne, coated with Saikyo miso mixed with butter, topped with nuts and baked.


Be careful not to spill the nuts, and when you bite into it, the contrast between the moist and soft dough and the crispy and fragrant nuts is vivid.


As you chew, in addition to the elegant flavor of Saikyo miso combined with butter, the aroma of nuts is steadily amplified in your mouth. It mixes with a slightly sweet bread, and the taste fills every corner of your mouth. It's not sweet or salty, but it's a fresh dish with a clear and delicious taste.

■ Saikyo Miso & Jalapeno

Jalapeno and cheese are kneaded into focaccia dough, and Saikyo miso is applied between the dough and baked. When you pick it up, it has a heavy weight.


Contrary to the dry and fragrant surface, the inside is moist. The eyes are tightly clogged and there is a chewy texture.


Saikyo miso is generously sandwiched between the dough, making it more assertive than tartine. It has a thick mouthfeel and gives off a unique mellow flavor. It goes well with cheese kneaded into the dough.


Jalapeno works every time you chew, and the aftertaste is spicy.

Saikyo miso with a little saltiness and a slight sweetness. In both breads, the taste of wheat was utilized while adding an elegant richness and flavor. In addition to the good compatibility with bread, there may be good recipes. So, I asked Mr. Warita, the chef of Boulangerie Lecan, who is also the creator of the recipe, what he was interested in!

■ Interview with Mr. Warita, Chef of Boulangerie Lecan

En-eating: This time, you made bread that incorporates Saikyo miso. Do you have any problems when thinking about the recipe?


Mr. Warita: Originally, miso and bread are both fermented foods and go well together. So I was worried about how to get customers to accept unfamiliar combinations rather than the recipe itself. For example, the focaccia dough is made to look like a series by adding Saikyo miso to what was originally placed as jalapeno bread.

Eat: I see. Is there anything you can refer to when you come up with a recipe idea?

Mr. Warita: There are many "types". Keep a record of what you care about, such as the text of a book or blog, and ask, "What kind of recipe would you get if you replaced this story with bread? I thought ... I don't show it to the public, but I make recipes with the image of a story and backbone. I think that person will be able to get through the core and make good things.


En-eating: It's a way of thinking that can be applied to all creative activities. Then, please tell us if there are any popular products other than Saikyo Miso bread.

Mr. Warita: Is it around simple things such as baguettes and campagne, "cornbread" (corn bread), and "red wine campagne" series? The red wine campagne is made by kneading the grapes after squeezing the wine into a puree. We also offer seasonal ingredients.






Chef Warita produces traditional Japanese ingredients, Saikyo Miso, which is delicious when combined with bread, and bread that is playful while meeting the expectations of a long-established restaurant. They also seemed to be somewhat similar.

Two Saikyo miso breads are scheduled to be on sale by the end of January. Don't miss it when you go around Ginza for the New Year.

Store location: 5-11-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 1F
Business hours: 10:30 to 21:00