Kakuida is a brewing company that makes “Black vinegar healthier, tastier, and more cooking friendly.” In Fukuyama-cho, Kagoshima, black vinegar has been continuously produced for over 200 years and still retains its tradition.
Black vinegar comes to perfection after two and a half years, with carefully selected ingredients and original Kakuida black vinegar methods. KaKuida black vinegar won Kagoshima’s “Homeland Specialty Contest” in 2004 and 2005.
Brown rice that affects the taste of “Kushishida” must be rich in umami. Kakuida black vinegar is made from high quality domestic organic rice, so drinking just a sip is completely different from other products.
The longer the ripening period of black vinegar, the more amino acids, but it takes time and effort. The fermentation and aging period of commercially available black vinegar is generally half a year to one year, but Kakuida brewery only sells black vinegar older than three years.
We put steamed rice, koji, and water into a pot called "Aman pot" and then sprinkle the dried koji evenly so that the surface of the liquid in the pot is covered. The jars are lined up outdoors, exposed to the sun in the day and cold in the night, and fermented and aged slowly and patiently in the jar.
The quality of black vinegar differs depending on the years of brewing, raw materials, climate, and jar, but in fact, "human power" is the most important. It has been over 50 years since Mr. Mori Akaike, a master of black vinegar, was involved in making Kakuida black vinegar.