SEP 25: Looking at Sushi with Saika

 

The akazu process: fresh sake kasu (lees), 3 year old sake kasu, which is pressed to yield akazu, red vinegar

September 2025 club is different!!

 It’s not something we do often– maybe once a year when we’re feeling feisty… this is a sake club after all. But this September we invited y’all to engage with the full dimensionality of one brewery, Kokonoe Saika. It’s the only brewery in the world to make akazu, red vinegar, from start to finish: first the sake, then the vinegar. All in-house.

If you chose to come along for the full ride, follow our instructions sometime in the next 3 months, so before the end of the year. You can do it on a weeknight: chirashi is really easy. Prepare your awasezu (合わせ酢, vinegar mixture), cook your rice, mix them up (the finished sushi rice is called shari), slice your fish & veg, then lay them together as a nice chirashizushi. Enjoy with a tall glass of Kokonoe Saika…exactly as they intended. You have 360g (2 合 go) of rice, which is enough for 4 small servings or 2 large servings.
A ‘go’ is an ancient unit of measure which corresponds to the square wooden cups, aka masu, you’ll find at some izakaya. It’s a universal unit of volume measure in Japan for rice, vinegar, sake…everything. Even the standard 720ml sake bottle is based on go: it is a yongobin, a 4-go-bottle. Like the metric system, there are different terms for each unit in a base ten system. For example, a large sake bottle is one sho (isshobin), 1.8L, equivalent to 10 go.

Akazu and Sushi

Kokonoe Saika is a sake and vinegar brewery. Rice vinegar is made from sake, but their belief is that the best vinegar is made from the best sake, so in 1908 the vinegar brewery expanded to start brewing their own sake and thus Kokonoe Saika shuzo was born.

 To make ginjo akazu (aka red ginjo vinegar, the best in the business for sushi in particular) take a junmai ginjo or daiginjo brew and after it’s done fermenting into alcohol, press the liquid out of the ricey mash and bottle it. That bottle of clear stuff is one part of your club. Then what’s left over in the press is a pretty substantial amount of solids (kasu) composed mostly of half-fermented rice, alcohol, sugars and flavor. Usually this is sold off to the public for cooking purposes but at Kokonoe Saika you make vinegar, so you press it into a very old wooden tank and let it sit for 3 years until it turns color to a deep brown-red. Sake is added and the vinegar fermentation begins. After several months the mash is pressed and ginjo akazu is born. That is so cool.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The history of sushi is long and complex, and I highly recommend the relatively quick read Oishii: The History of Sushi by Eric C. Rath if you’re interested. But the short version is that it began in China nearly 2000 years ago, approached its modern form in the Osaka-Nara area 300 years ago, and finally settled into the Edomae style we still enjoy today in Tokyo (Edo) around 1820. What began as sour fermented fish pickled in a bed made with salt, steamed grains and lactic acid bacteria eventually expedited into half-pickled fish and rice where the grain is also eaten, into pressed vinegared fish and rice, and finally early nigiri which were ~ 3x their modern size. Hanaya Yohei is credited with inventing the Edomae style of nigirizushi using fresh fish from Tokyo bay and seasoning his shari with akazu.

Akazu has double the amino acid content of regular rice vinegar, a floral aroma, deep red color and a stronger flavor, making it ideally suited to pair with the lightly fermented or shoyu- cured fish Yohei used pre-refrigeration. More practically, sushi boomed in popularity in the late Edo period and being a byproduct of sake brewing, akazu was simply cheaper to produce. The popular modern vinegar brand Mizkan was established in response to the early popularity of akazu when a sake brewery in Aichi prefecture saw a business opportunity to utilize their leftover kasu in service of the Edo sushi boom.

 

An incident with mold-infected, yellow-colored rice in the post-war years unfortunately conflated dark-colored shari with spoilage, which caused chefs to stop using akazu. At the same time, rice became more affordable and as a result pure rice vinegar, which can be brewed from start to finish in a matter of months rather than years, became standard, leading to the “silver shari” era we’re in today. But in many of the best sushi bars throughout the world we’ve seen a return to akazu, and the rarity of its brewers makes quality akazu an exceptionally rare ingredient.

Kokonoe Saika Jozo

The importer, who brings in both the sake and the vinegar, had such positive things to say about their experience here.
“Surrounded by countless fruiting trees, Wakayama's seaside, mountains and forests, as well as a stone's throw away from major landmarks like Wakayama castle, the brewery is surrounded by beauty of all kinds.... and yet the most beautiful things we saw were their team and the products they make. You would never know it from his welcoming and convivial nature, but the Mr. Saika used to a professional boxer, before retiring to take over his family's business. Due to his guilt of making a living through violence, he has spent decades "making up" for that with charity work, programs for the disabled, and obtaining inclusivity certifications like for vegan halal kosher foods as well as a cert for sustainability. Working beneath Mr. Saika, is a miniscule team of only 3 brewers and 1 vinegar caretaker, who work hard and long hours in small batches to make unique and delicious sake from various kinds of rice with a special focus on pairing with sushi

 

 

 

(even going to lengths of scientific analysis of the chemical components of different fish types and how they match in pairing with various sake types). The lees pressed out of their delicious sake are of excellent quality, and are divided by grade and sent to their 28-kioke vinegar room (a number of wooden tanks almost unparalleled by other producers) for several years of aging and acetic fermentation to someday become some of Japan's most unique vinegar.”

Kokonoe Saika uses their Yamadanishiki Junmai Daiginjo sake kasu for the vinegar. The kasu is pressed into a wooden tank and aged for 3 years until it looks like dark brown miso.  Junmai sake is added to increase the alcohol and moisture content, and it is seeded with the active fermentation from another tank. The kasu ferments vigorously over 4 months via bacteria that consume alcohol and convert it to acetic acid. The bacteria live in their wooden tanks: the oldest is from 1927 (!) and each tank’s microclimate is fundamental to the brewery’s terroir. After fermentation, the  vinegar finally pressed for bottling.

Generally speaking, akazu shari is recommended to pair with stronger-tasting fish such as shoyu-marinated maguro, cured mackerel, shrimp, and Fall-Winter fish, especially salmon. While the Saika yamahai junmai (which is excellent) is said to pair with all sushi, the junmai daiginjo you have in front of you is specifically used in the akazu and its ideal pairing is fattier salmon (funny coincidence that we’re entering Chinook season here in the PNW, isn’t it!) But feel free to use any fatty fish or roe; Molly tried it with cured mackerel, which is traditional in Wakayama’s narezushi. Sunomono (vinegared foods) pair extremely well, as well as flavorful herbs (shiso, mitsuba), pickled ginger (I prefer homemade pickled ginger or brands without aspartame), or even steamed/blanched, cooled and lightly dressed vegetables. I’m a huge fan of greens pickled in akazu, especially shungiku and turnip (I’ll be sharing a recipe below) which are available throughout Fall and Winter.

We’re also sharing a little one-cup (or 720, 4-go!) from Amabuki which is perfectly named “I Love Sushi” Junmai Ginjo as a contrast pairing: a sake that was specifically brewed to pair with sushi (rather than a sake that was specifically brewed to, 3 years later, make sushi). While it’s definitely simpler, less impactful than the Kokonoe Saika Junmai Daiginjo, I Love Sushi has a slightly sharper acidity that pairs well with the acidity of akazu and just enough shibumi (astringency) to cut through the fatty fish. Amabuki’s unique astringent-dry-acidic profile is thanks to their use of wild yeasts isolated from flowers, and this one uses a blend of Queen of the Night flower & Strawberry flower yeast + Saga no Hana eating rice from southern Saga prefecture. Plus, it’s a pretty perfect label (and size!) to pair in with this month’s theme. I expect Kokonoe Saika Junmai Daiginjo to serve as the interesting, complex pairing and Amabuki to serve as the easygoing, supportive role pairing.

Despite the temptation, somehow I got through this writeup without getting distracted by the family’s incredibly cool history (ancestor Saika Magoichi’s group of 3000 gunmen were the sole force to maintain sovereignty against Oda Nobunaga!!) but I’m sure I’ll go into that another time. Instead, I’ll leave you with a quick explanation on the logo: honestly, the first thing I was drawn to when I bought a bottle of the yamahai ~5 years ago. This bird is the Yatagarasu (八咫烏), a giant 3-legged crow from Japanese (and wider Chinese and Korean) folklore. According to the Nihon Shoki and the Kojiki, Japan’s oldest records, Yatagarasu was sent by the gods as a guide for man. No less than Jimmu, the first emperor of Japan was guided by Yatagarasu to Yamato (Nara/Osaka) from Kumano (southern Wakayama), where he would establish the Yamato Imperial Court. Kokonoe Saika’s ancestor Saika Magoichi wore the Yatagarasu as a crest while defending his land from Oda Nobunaga’s invasion, and it lives on today as their logo.

Ingredients

If you chose option 1, which is also being provided as the default option for those who didn’t choose, you’ll have the following food items. The recipes are provided for use with these ingredients.

1. One go (180ml) of Kokonoe Saika Ginjo Akazu (I apologize for the crown cap closure! A rubber pour spout can replace the cap, as will a small cork, or it can be decanted into a different container). Lasts: indefinitely.

2. Two go (360g) of Hokkaido Yumepirika rice from The Rice Factory, milled only ~2 weeks ago. If you don’t eat much premium rice, I think you’ll notice the difference in how soft, fluffy and tender these grains are. Lasts: enjoy within 3 months, sooner for best flavor.

Recipes

While sushi vinegar recipes today typically call for vinegar, salt, sugar, and sometimes kombu, the original recipe for Edomae sushi does not use sugar. I’m including sugar in this recipe but I’m not a purist; feel free to omit if you prefer.

Awasezu / 合わせ酢 / Sushi-zu / Sushi vinegar

This is adapted from thejapanesefoodlab.com which is also an excellent resource for details on the entire process.

• 18g unrefined sun dried sea salt (maldon is recommended, but you may wish to use ~15g if you’re substituting with kosher salt, or ~10-12g if you’re substituting with iodized salt).

• 0-45g white sugar (30-45g would be typical of most sushi rice, use less if you want it tart)

• 100g Akazu

• 8g kombu (optional, Rishiri is best)

• 5g shoyu (preferably 3 years barrel aged)

Let the kombu sit with the vinegar until it softens, about 20 minutes. Add the salt, shoyu and sugar and bring the ingredients to a bare simmer, then turn off the heat. Let cool to room temperature. Remove the kombu.

Shari / Sushi rice
Wash the rice, moving it around with your hands to agitate it and release loose rice flour, with tap water until the water runs almost-clear, there should be just a little haze remaining.
As this rice is 2024 harvest (2025 is just now being harvested!) it should be soaked before use. Put the rice in its cooking vessel (pot, donabe or rice cooker). Using bottled water, add 400ml or 420ml if you’re making this recipe closer to December (the rice will be dryer, as will the ambient humidity). If you’re not using a rice cooker let it soak for 10-30 minutes then begin the cooking process (Japanese rice cookers will usually have a pre-soak built in to the cooking mode).
I’m going to be honest, after my first trip back from Japan in 2020 we immediately bought a good rice cooker because I couldn’t believe what I’d been missing out on cooking it stovetop. But, the absolute best rice is made in donabe (clay pots) and very good rice can still be made stovetop. Ideally, use a heavy pot like a le creuset or similar enameled iron pot that isn’t too wide/shallow, but honestly anything will do.. Rice cookers should be cooked to regular softness (not extra soft or hard). Detailed instructions for donabe can be found here.

For stovetop cooking, turn to medium heat with the lid on and keep an eye on the pot. As soon as there is sputtering coming out of the lid indicating that the water is boiling, reduce the heat to low (~3 out of 10) so that it’s continuing to cook at a bare minimum simmer and the sputtering stops. Set a timer for 12 minutes and let cook slowly. Then peek in on it: does all the water appear to be absorbed? If not, let it cook for another 1-2 minutes. Once it’s absorbed, take it off the heat and leave it covered for ~30 minutes.

In a big plastic or glass bowl, add the hot rice. Do not scrape any crispy rice off the bottom of a pot, that’s for snacking. Note that if more than a tablespoon or two has cooked on the bottom, you might need to reduce your vinegar by a teaspoon or more. Keep it proportional: the 75g of vinegar mix is exactly right for 2c of raw rice.  Using a paddle to disperse it, spread the vinegar over the rice.  “Cut” it into the rice by moving the paddle at an angle through the rice mix repeatedly. This prevents the rice from getting smashed, while still mixing. If you have a hand fan, once the vinegar appears to be mixing in and liquid has disappeared, use that at the same time as mixing to help cool the rice. When all the vinegar is mixed in and the rice is approaching warm/room, it’s ready to use.

Chirashi-zushi
Cut your fish/chirashi components to your liking. You can do small cubes, slices at an angle, sliced lotus root and greens, asparagus, avocado, cucumber, blanched carrots, minced shiso, whatever you like.
Lay a serving of shari (or plain steamed rice if you  prefer) into a shallow bowl. Decorate with fish/components. Pour a glass of sake. Enjoy!

Pickled greens

This is my husband’s recipe! We eat it at least once a week during the Fall-Spring months when greens are all you can get at the farmer’s market. It is especially good in Spring when hakurei turnips are just coming in and the greens are incredible. You can also marinade vegetables in this, but I usually ignore the turnips and prefer to eat the greens. This is also wonderful with shungiku, more tender mustards and spinach.

In the following ratio, mix: 0.5 shio koji : 1 usukuchi shoyu : 2 akazu . I usually do it by the T. Clean a bunch of greens and chop them neatly into 2-inch long sections. In a bag, add the marinade. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes before eating. (You can also use 1 shoyu : 2 akazu if you don’t want to get extra ingredients, but shio koji is kind of a miracle marinade ingredient.)

Kokonoe Saika’s Akazu mocktail
Mix together: 5ml akazu. 40ml grape juice, 40ml ginger beer, and serve over ice.