Sakamoto Kurozu Tenju Black Vinegar (坂元のくろず 天寿)

The story behind it

Fukuyama in Kagoshima looks out over Kinko Bay. Since the late Edo period, vinegar here has been brewed inside ceramic pots called aman-tsubo, set out in the open air, using only rice, rice koji (the fermentation culture Aspergillus oryzae), and groundwater. Rows of them form the landscape known as a tsubobatake, or pot field.

Fermenting and aging slowly outdoors for over a year strips out the sharp edge and produces an amber black vinegar that is mellow and full-bodied. It is rich in amino acids, and the flavor has real depth.

Open-air pot brewing like this is rare anywhere in the world, and it is only possible because Fukuyama's climate is mild. One drop, brewed by time and weather.