Protected local food
Kagoshima Jar-Brewed Black Vinegar
鹿児島の壺造り黒酢
A rice black vinegar from Kirishima in Kagoshima, brewed in clay jars set out in the open air. It ferments and ages for a year or more, which makes it mellow.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 22 December 2015
- Region
- Kyushu & Okinawa
- Official name in Japanese
- 鹿児島の壺造り黒酢
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 鹿児島県霧島市福山町及び隼人町
Thousands of jars in the sun
In Fukuyama and Hayato, on the shore of Kagoshima Bay, rows of clay jars stand in open fields. Each one holds rice, koji and water, and the vinegar ferments right there in the jar. Fermentation takes at least six months, and ageing at least six more.
Where black vinegar began
Vinegar has been brewed this way here since the early 1800s, and the area is known as the birthplace of the method. Kagoshima is warm all year with small swings in temperature, which suits slow fermentation, and Satsuma pottery jars were always easy to come by.
Mellow, not sharp
The long ageing turns the vinegar a deep amber-brown and gives it a rounded acidity and a distinctive aroma. In Japan people sip it diluted with water or juice, and cooks use it in dressings and sweet-and-sour pork.
Good to know
- Some producers in Fukuyama let you walk among the jars and taste vinegars. It makes an unusual half-day trip from Kagoshima city.
- Back home, mix a spoonful with sparkling water and honey for a drink, or use it like balsamic vinegar.
- Also from Kagoshima: Kagoshima Wagyu and Makurazaki Katsuobushi.
Questions travellers ask
What is kurozu?
Japanese black vinegar, brewed from rice. Long ageing turns it dark and gives it a mellow taste.
Where is it made?
In the Fukuyama and Hayato areas of Kirishima city, Kagoshima Prefecture.
Where it comes from
More protected foods from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.