Bonnie: I like vinegars. I always have a plethora of them to flavor my dips, marinades and salad dressings. They add lots of flavor without fat… although I do add them along with extra virgin olive oil when making salad dressings.
And I like Kikkoman Seasoned Rice Vinegar as it’s a bit milder than many other vinegars. It’s made from glutinous rice, with just salt and sugar — not high-fructose corn syrup. Since I often add a sweetener — a smidgen of honey, sugar or maple syrup — and salt to dressings or marinades, seasoned rice vinegar saves that step.
Splash some on cooked rice, a baked potato or steamed or roasted veggies. Mix with equal parts soy sauce to make a quick dipping sauce for pot stickers or dumplings… and when you have more time, add some sesame oil, crushed red pepper, minced garlic and fresh ginger to that. And, of course, use for sushi.
Bryan: Though its name has almost become synonymous with the ubiquitous soy sauce, Kikkoman is a company with more than one product. Today, we feature one of them.
For centuries, Kikkoman’s flagship product, soy sauce, has been an indispensable ingredient in Japanese cuisine. In the modern world of overlapping cultural cuisines, the taste of soy sauce goes far beyond Japanese food, with this versatile seasoning brewed from soybeans, wheat and salt now considered essential in many health-conscious Western kitchens. The salty sauce can now be found in just about everything, from hamburgers to salads and desserts. The age of fusion certainly reigns!
The history of Kikkoman and its famous soy sauce began in Noda, a small city located just outside Tokyo, more than three centuries ago. And don’t expect it to let up any time soon! According to Japanese folklore, the tortoise lives for 10,000 years and thus is a symbol of longevity (what every company hopes for). Kikkoman’s company name implies that it will be around just as long. Kikko means tortoise shell in Japanese, while man means 10,000. The names were first chosen as the trademark for one of the company’s best sauces before later becoming the actual company name. Expect the next few millenniums to be Kikkoman-filled!
So what does a cultural icon do when it’s not making soy sauce? Expand on its product offerings, of course! During its years marketing to the American consumer, Kikkoman developed and now offers a wide array of Asian flavors. A full line of soy sauces is complemented by lines of teriyaki, ponzu, and curry sauces, as well as soups, breadings, and rice vinegars.
If there are two things you need for proper sushi, soy is one, but rice wine vinegar is the other, even more important ingredient! Rice vinegar is what gives sushi rice its flavor! Kikkoman Seasoned Rice Vinegar is versatile, with a milder flavor than most other rice vinegars, making it far more palatable to the average Westerner. There is a hint of sweetness from the glutinous rice, but this is well balanced by its acidity, making it an excellent addition to almost any dish or cuisine. You can use this seasoned rice vinegar daily, even if you’re not consuming sushi as such; it’s just wonderful on salads as the core part of any Asian-inspired homemade dressing.
And of course, don’t forget about making sushi at home! You’ll need your rice vinegar and there is no better offering for that than Kikkoman! Seasoned rice vinegar is made by adding salt and sugar to plain rice vinegar. Far simpler to make than soy sauce, but why try when Kikkoman has already done it so well?
Eric: Basic vinegar is just that: vinegar. Although it is one essential element in a chef’s pantry, there is usually nothing exceptional or outstanding about it. Kikkoman, however, changed the game with its new Seasoned Rice Vinegar. The easiest way to describe the product is to imagine taking your favorite vinegar (we’re not talking balsamic), and adding a skosh of sweetness in order to quell the standard acidic “bite.” Kikkoman didn’t necessarily reinvent the wheel with its new Seasoned Rice Vinegar; it just reformulated an age-old recipe (almost 300-years old) for the average discerning Westerner…
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