🍱 Kinzanji-Miso
"Kinzanji Miso" is a specialty product of Togane City in Chiba Prefecture and is a type of miso that has been produced in Chiba Prefecture since ancient times. This miso is made by combining soybeans with wheat gluten and adding vegetables such as winter melons, eggplants, and ginger. It is a regional dish enjoyed not only in Chiba Prefecture but also in other areas such as Wakayama, Aichi, and Shizuoka Prefectures. According to one theory about its origin, Kukai (Kobo Daishi) visited Tang (present-day China) as part of a diplomatic mission, underwent training at temples such as Kinzanji, and upon returning to Japan, passed on the method of making "Kinzanji Miso." Another theory suggests that Shingon Buddhist monk, Shinchi Kakushin (Hotokugonshi), from the Kamakura period traveled to Song (another historical Chinese era), trained at Kinzanji, and upon returning to Japan, passed on the production method when founding Mt. Washimiya Kokoku-ji in Wakayama Prefecture. Later, during the Edo period, Tokugawa Yoshimune, the eighth shogun, is said to have gifted Kinzanji Miso to the shogunate, which led to its popularity in Edo (present-day Tokyo). There is also a theory that Kinzanji Miso played a role in the origin of soy sauce.