Mikura Black Vinegar Shizuka

When it comes to Japanese cuisine, vinegar is one of its five pillars (the other four are soy sauce, mirin, sake, and dashi stock). And this is why Japanese supermarkets stock all kinds of vinegar, mostly made of rice and with different levels of acidity and umami. However, if you're a huge umami fan and want to go all the way, head straight for the black vinegars, of which the Mikura Black Vinegar Shizuka is one of the finest examples!

Despite the name, the Mikura Black Vinegar Shizuka isn't actually black: it's just darker than regular Japanese osu (vinegar) owing to the fact that brown (unpolished) rice is used to prepare it. Combined with the koji mold (Aspergillus oryzae) used to make sake in a special technique called cold brewing and with wooden vats for added depth of flavor, you get a vinegar with between 5 and 20 times the amino acids (providing the umami) of plain vinegar. You can get it in 70 ml (2.4 fl oz) or 300 ml (10.1 fl oz) sizes. This will definitely change the way you think about Japanese vinegar!

Specs and Features:

• Sizes: small, medium
• Volume (small): 70 ml (2.4 fl oz)
• Volume (medium): 300 ml (10.1 fl oz)
• Acidity: 4.4%
• Energy (100 ml / 0.8 fl oz): 20 kcal
• Protein (100 ml / 0.8 fl oz): 0.7 g
• Fat (100 ml / 0.8 fl oz): 0.1 g
• Carbohydrates (100 ml / 0.8 fl oz): 5.5 g
• Salt equivalent (100 ml / 0.8 fl oz): 0.01 g