Kurozu Drink: Healthy Japanese Black Rice Vinegar Drink
Niigata, the prefecture where I live, has the third-largest number of Onsen regions in Japan, because of which, in my city too, there are several spas.
When I have a day off from work, I often go to one of the facilities, where there is a glass dispenser of a Kurozu drink I like.
The beverage dispenser can be seen in many spa facilities, and it typically costs 100 yen (about 1 USD) to get the chilled drink.
Kurozu Drink (黒酢ドリンク)
“Kurozu (黒酢)” is Japanese black rice vinegar. It was developed as “vinegar to drink for health” and grabbed people’s hearts over time.
While regular rice vinegar is made from polished rice, the main ingredient of Kurozu is brown rice.
Compared to other kinds, Kurozu takes a long time (the aging traditionally takes 1 to 3 years) to make. During the process, the color turns blackish, and the taste becomes mellow.
Benefits
Kurozu vinegar contains plenty of essential amino acids and citric acid. Its major health benefits are
- lower blood pressure
- prevent the rapid increase of blood sugar level
- reduce visceral fat
- get rid of fatigue
But overdosing can harm your health. Based on this article, the recommended consumption per day is 20-30 ml.
Recipe
Let’s get the topic back on track. The spa facility’s Kurozu beverage tastes like just a watered-down variety.
If you want to make the drink by diluting with water, the basic ratio of Kurozu vinegar to water is 1:10.
With Honey
But as Kurozu pairs perfectly with Hachimitsu or honey (which is rich in minerals), my recommended version is the honey-mixed Kurozu drink.
The basic ratio of Kurozu vinegar to honey to water to make Hachimitsu Kurozu Drink is 1:1:10.
But this popular recipe on cookpad.com uses 75 ml of Kurozu, 30 ml honey, and 400 ml of water for two days’ consumption.
(Reference Pages: Wikipedia 黒酢, Suntory, Cosmopolitan )
