KAKUIDA

Just as with Sake, a good vinegar depends on high quality ingredients, craftmanship and a perfect environment. Kakuida brewery uses premium brown rice, natural spring water, locally produces koji yeast and carefully selected earthenware pots to naturally ferment their vinegars for a minimum of three years(!) in Kagoshima’s perfectly suited nature. 

Each vessel requires technical skills, experience, and specific knowledge, which result in premium quality vinegar, unmatched by factory produces products.

Kakuida owns and ferments some 20.000 jar on various fields in the area. This does, however, not mean they mass produce. All of their vinegars are fermented for a minimum of three years (regular vinegars ferment for 6 months to 1 year), and their oldest even up to 15 years! The longer vinegar ferments, the darker its’ color and the healthier amino acids it contains.

During this time the vinegar is aged naturally, outside in the Kagoshima sun, inside carefully selected special-made earthenware pots. The craftsmen inspect each pot every single day to confirm the fermentation is processing perfectly. 

Timewise they could never compete with big, automated factories, but they are committed to sticking to their traditional production methods for the most delicious, valuable vinegars. 

Premium ingredients for the most delicious and safest vinegar… 

• Using top quality brown rice full of healthy amino acids and strong umami. 
• Using local, soft, natural Fukuyama town spring water for a mellow taste. 
• Using the best organic yeast “koji”, procured from Mr. Akaike, who is Fukuyama's oldest black vinegar craftsman and whose family has been involved in black vinegar production since his grandfather's generation.