10/01/2026
Noma Projects HQ โ๏ธ
The day after the cooking workshops at , I had the opportunity to tour the production space - a behind-the-scenes look at how some of the most unusual flavours in the world are created.
We moved through a series of stations, starting with a miso masterclass led by the wizard . We were given 4 options for bases, 2 koji variants, and 4 flavour variants to create our own unique miso pastes. Once ground, we vac-packed them and mine is still in my freezer ready to ferment! I'll post the progress once started.
The choices were:
- Base: Yellow split-peas, fava beans, rye bread, lupin
- Koji: Rice or barley
- Flavouring: Elderflower pulp, rose pulp, chilli paste, sun-dried tomato powder
- Essential: salt
I went for lupin, barley koji and sun-dried tomato. Chef Kevin explained the months-long process of sourcing, drying and re-testing tomatoes to land on the perfect product. Essentially a one-off Noma sun-dried tomato - I just had to.
After that, we A/B tested and gave feedback on 16 unreleased products, met the foraging team, and had a snack of baby pinecones and wood ants - which I swear is tastier than it sounds. The ants had a citrus flavour - and if it helps, they bit me first!
We finished with soft-serve made from blackcurrant wood, peach tree sap and buttermilk, topped with a sauce of pinecones, wood-ants and elderberries.
I learned so much from this experience and loved every second. Such a rare insight into one of the most innovative and unique food labs on earth.