Uchibori Mino Tokusen Ponzu (内堀醸造 美濃特選味付ぽん酢)

The story behind it

Yaotsu sits in the Gifu hills looking out over the Kiso River. Uchibori Jozo, founded in 1876, is a vinegar specialist that has made only vinegar for 150 years.

This seasoned ponzu is a long-running product: a first-draw dashi from Rishiri kombu and Makurazaki katsuobushi, combined with sudachi and yuzu juice. No chemical seasonings, acidulants, or flavorings. It is the bottle that shows you how carefully a vinegar maker designs acidity when it turns to ponzu.

There is nothing showy about it. But in hot pot season, the bottle in the middle of the table doing the most work is usually one like this.