Go-En Fermented Foods

Founded in 2015 by Mika and Nicholas Repenning, Go-En Fermented Foods was born out of a passion to share real, good Japanese miso within the United States. Mika and Nicholas met in Japan and started life in Maine together with their son in 2011. Here, they were drawn back to the moving flavors of koji and miso, and began to make these fermented foods for themselves. As they shared their love for these Japanese ferments with their community, their production started to grow, and eventually turned into what it is today.

Go-En is a Japanese word about connection and relationship. It has an interconnected holistic sense and exists in the convergence of peoples, places, and all events where each has an equal, mutual relationship. The Repennings constantly reach for this connection through the food they produce. Fermentation allows foods to cultivate microorganisms that live in harmony with the body, not only because they make fermented food taste so good, but because they can assist in gut health. The harmony the Repennings reinforce is also exemplified by their support for the communities that support them, sourcing local ingredients and utilizing local connections to create more positivity, all captured into a simple jar to share.

These connections have indeed garnered a positive response- in the winter of 2023, Go-En Fermented Foods sold out of their miso and continues to attempt to keep up with the constant demand from the people that have tried and loved their products for years. Visit their website (https://www.goenfermentedfoods.com/) for a list of their products and updates on their stock!