A small Queensland business run by Japanese mums has won Australia's premier food prize at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney.
The Gold Coast company called Rice Culture produces miso by hand using traditional methods.
The organic vintage miso was judged the best food product from six finalists and thousands of entries from around the country.
The women exclusively use Australian organic ingredients and traditional Japanese recipes that are more than 1,000 years old.
"All of our staff are Japanese mums with kids at school, who operate from around 9 am until pick-up time," Rice Culture owner Tomoko Onuki said.
"Mums are very efficient and I know that whatever I ask them to do, it'll be done before 2.30pm in preparation for school pick-up.
"We help each other and it works."
Rice Culture has been producing handmade miso and koji (fermented rice) since 2012.
The only ingredients are rice, soybeans and salt, but a fermentation process that takes about a year is used.
The women have been exploring koji culture (Aspergillus oryzae) – which was officially declared Japan's "national fungus" in 2006 – to ferment miso, soy sauce and sake.
"Sometimes innovation means going back to old traditions," Ms Onuki said.
"We are making live food and every batch is different.
"The temperature can vary, and we will adjust accordingly."
Miso was originally introduced to Japan from China and it was used as a condiment and medicine.
It reportedly helps with digestion, revitalises the blood, detoxes the body, relieves pain and increases appetite.
Rice Culture says it also subdues vomiting, stops diarrhoea, turns the hair black and moistens the skin.
President's Medal
The Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) President's Medal is the only competition of its kind in Australia.
It assesses taste but also explores the overall production cycle, from its commercial success and environmental footprint to its social impact.
To qualify for the President's Medal, producers must have been champions in the previous year's Sydney Royal Wine, Dairy or Fine Food shows.
There are more than 4,000 entrants from 276 classes, 81 of whom have a chance to win a top honour.
Chef and President's Medal judge Ed Halmagyi says it is a unique award.
"Not only does it allow us to judge an oyster producer against a dairy manufacturer, but it also lets us get down to the granular detail of how these businesses operate and to recognise them for that best practice and innovation," he said.
Seafood misses out
Three seafood companies were among the six finalists but did not win the major prize.
It has been a terrible few years for the sector.
Flooding smashed many oyster leases over the last couple of years and fires badly affected others.
Disease destroyed some oyster-growing areas and outbreaks of white spot in aquaculture farms forced many prawn growers in Queensland and New South Wales to destroy all their stock.
The RAS 16th Annual President's Medal finalists were:
- Yumbah for its greenlip abalone (Allestree, Victoria)
- Aquna for its hot smoked sustainable Murray cod (Griffith, NSW)
- The Little Big Dairy Company for its single-sourced double cream (Dubbo, NSW)
- Rice Culture, for its organic vintage miso (Carrara, Queensland)
- Australia's Oyster Coast for its appellation oysters, Merimbula, bistro (Millingandi, NSW)
- Newcastle's Pudding Lady for its Christmas pudding (Cardiff, NSW)
