Abstract
In this study, we produced miso using edible and medicinal mushrooms instead of Aspergillus oryzae. We measured protease activities of 14 strains of mushrooms in the presence of salt. Eleven strains of mushrooms, such as Isaria cicadae NBRC 33259, showed high productivity of salt-tolerant protease. We attempted miso production using these 11 strains of mushrooms. After 28 days of fermentation, all samples had changed into a soft paste similar to miso. The nutrient composition of this mushroom miso was similar to that of commercial miso. The soluble nitrogen content of Pleurotus salmoneo-stramineus miso was 8.46 g/kg, while that of commercial miso was 8.32 g/kg. The formol nitrogen content of Flammulina velutipes miso was 4.42 g/kg, and that of commercial miso was 3.67 g/kg. Finally, we assayed the amino acid composition of mushroom miso and found that glutamic acid content in 5 strains of mushroom miso was higher than that in commercial miso.
