Nihon Chomiryo Tabi
Kisaichi Su Kioke no Hitoshizuku 500ml (私市酢 木桶の一滴 500ml)
The story behind it
The Kisaichi Jozo works stand in Higashi-Donobe, Kamagaya City, Chiba Prefecture. The vinegar maker counts 100 years since its founding.
Kioke no Hitoshizuku was completed in that 100th year. It is brewed in kioke (wooden barrels) of cedar, raising a sake-lees vinegar slowly by still fermentation. A film of acetic acid bacteria is allowed to form on the surface where it meets the air, and then you wait without stirring. It takes time, but the aroma gains depth.
Onto that, a clean rice vinegar is layered. The full savory character comes from the kioke, and the acidity is crisp. Acidity is 4.5 percent, the same strength as ordinary table vinegar, but with no sharp edge on the palate. There are just four ingredients: rice, alcohol, salt and sake lees.
The brewery's vinegar has been used by Edomae sushi chefs. Here that flavor comes in a 500ml bottle a household can finish.
How to use it
Beyond the obvious uses in sushi rice and vinegared side dishes, try it in a marinade served alongside roast beef, or a splash at the end of a pork stir-fry, which lightens the finish. You can also add a few drops to shoyu to tighten a dipping sauce, pour it over karaage or gyoza to cut the fat, or mix it into mayonnaise for a tartar-style sauce. A very small amount at the end of a simmered dish or a soup pulls the flavor into focus.