In southern Japan, terracotta jars lined up facing the Kirishima volcanoes house one of the treasures of Japanese gastronomy: kurozu, black rice vinegar.
History & Expertise
In Fukuyama, Kagoshima Prefecture, kurozu has been made in the same way for over two centuries. The Kakuida house perpetuates this ancestral tradition: rice, spring water drawn from the Shirasu plateau, carefully cultivated koji, and time that does the rest. Fermentation and maturation take place outdoors, in traditional jars exposed to the sun, where the liquid slowly darkens and acquires its unique aromatic depth.
The local microclimate plays a decisive role: the mild marine air, the purity of volcanic water, and the natural warmth of the soil linked to the region's geothermal activity. It is this alchemy between nature and patience that gives Kakuida vinegar its roundness, its umami, and its light fruity note, far removed from the frank acidity of a classic vinegar.
Specialties
Aged kurozu, yuzu or fruit vinegars, black vinegar-based condiments: all bottles that transform a vinaigrette, deglaze meat, or awaken a fish tartare. A few drops are enough.
FOODHUB has selected Kakuida to introduce French gourmets to this discreet pillar of Japanese cuisine: a terroir product in the strictest sense, shaped by a place, a climate, and two hundred years of transmission.