Wikipedia Article About Barley miso on Wikipedia Gokoku (五穀) - "5 grain": soy, wheat, barley, proso millet, and foxtail millet Miso (Japanese: 味噌) is a thick paste, similar to the Korean doenjang, made by fermenting soybeans with sea salt and kōji, itself the product of fermenting rice, barley or soybeans with a mold culture, kōji-kin (Aspergillus oryzae (麹, Aspergillus oryzae).[1] Often, grains such as barley or rice, and sometimes other ingredients, are added. Miso tastes salty and, depending on the grains used and fermentation time, may also be sweet.