About Us

Based on the Gold Coast, Rice Culture has been making Miso and Koji (fermented rice) since 2012. We are all moms and our passion is to produce nutritious fermented food from local organic ingredients following the traditional culture and recipes.

We care about the health of all living things, large and micro but of all the intriguing micro-organisms, we are particularly in love with the Koji culture that makes beautiful Miso, Soy Sauce and Sake - hence our name! It is our mission to now pass on this "rice culture" tradition to future generations. 

How it all began 

Like many small businesses, Rice Culture was born over 10 years ago, in 2012 from the desire to create something that at the time, we couldn’t find ourselves. In our case, it was locally sourced and produced organic and Non-GMO miso. 

This came in the wake of the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster caused by the 2011 Great Tohoku Earthquake. At the time it seemed an unlikely catalyst to start a business but among other things, the disaster for us was a stark reminder of the risk of relying on imported food, especially for our most essential item, miso.

 Due to the disaster, we had concerns regarding the health implications of eating imported Japanese food. Unable to source local miso ourselves, we began looking into making our own from scratch. Core to our values, we were adamant that these ingredients were local, non-GMO and organic.

Although miso has been gaining culinary popularity over the years, the cultural and historical significance, especially for first-generation Japanese immigrants like ourselves, is huge. Unknown to the general public, the humble miso was introduced to Japan from China in the 8th century as medicine for the nobles. It was the Samurais who started consuming them as soups in the 12th century as they carried them to war as a compact and non-perishable protein source. In modern-day Japan, it’s believed that at least 75% of people consume miso soup at least once a day.

The 1,200-year-old recipe have not changed much over the years. The ingredients are very simple – rice, soybean and salt and so began our hunt to find the best source of Australian organic soybean, rice and salt. And we were lucky to find local suppliers with excellent quality produce.

The results from using Australian, premia, local, organic ingredients were beyond our expectations! We were ecstatic by the amazing flavour and texture of the miso we managed to produce – actually the best we ever tasted! 

 Current focus

 

Since Rice Culture started its business in 2012, there have been many discoveries on the importance of “gut health” and the benefits of including “organic fermented food’ in the diet. Miso and Koji fermented in the traditional natural ways have so many health benefits for the gut health and we need to spread the words!

Miso is prebiotic and probiotic, vegan, gluten-free, and contains all essential amino acids. It is a great source of B vitamins and minerals and is rich in antioxidants.

Some of the scientifically proven benefits include improvements and strengthening of the digestive health and immune system. It helps lower LDL cholesterols and reduces the risk for cancers especially breast, prostate, and colon cancers.

One quote we always mention at our workshops is that of Dr. Shinichiro Akizuki (1916-2005) of St Francis Hospital in Nagasaki. He said that “Miso belongs to the highest class of medicines, those which prevent disease and strengthen the body through continued usage.” Dr. Akizuki’s hospital was at the epicentre of Nagasaki nuclear bombing in 1945. He fed all his patients and staff at the hospital miso soup, brown rice, vegetable, and seaweed every day after the tragic bombing and none of them ended up suffering from radiation sickness and he since became a huge advocate for miso.

Rice Culture would like more people to enjoy the health benefits of Miso and Koji, while enjoying the delicous flavour and amazing effects they can have on food through cooking. We are hoping to get back into workshops and online classes to explore traditional ways of food preparation and fermentation.

Please join our journey to explore what Miso and Koji can do for our gut-health.

 
Rice Culture
Website : www.riceculture.com.au
Instagram : riceculture_australia
Facebook : facebook.com/riceculture
Factory Location : 4/3 Keller Crescent, Carrara, QLD 4211 Australia