Black rice vinegar fermented and acetified in barrels for over a year before aging. Unpasteurized, diluted, or forced-heated. Pure, vibrant, and intense.
Kuriso was born from over 10 years of study, experimentation, and travel between Italy and Asia, where the production of vinegars from cereals is a millenary tradition.
The alcoholic transformation takes place in a controlled manner, while the 2nd fermentation—the acetic one—is the true heart of the process. For Kuriso, they adopted the surface static method in small, unfilled barrels (barriques), the slowest and most artisanal of all known methods. They do not use starter cultures: acetification occurs spontaneously thanks to the microflora present in the barrels and the vinegar factory environment. This makes each batch unique and unrepeatable. During fermentation, a natural bacterial layer forms on the surface , a hallmark of the static method. This is the acetobacteria biofilm , which grows only in controlled, undisturbed environments.
San Giacomo consciously chose not to follow the traditional Eastern saccharification method using fungi such as Koji or Qu, which, in addition to transforming starches, also degrade proteins, releasing amino acids —including glutamate—and creating precursors of the umami flavor. This choice would have led to a very savory profile, typical of Eastern vinegars. Instead, they preferred a different approach: focusing only on starches , hydrolyzed by the enzyme amylase, to obtain a fermentable syrup that generates fruitier, toasted, and cleaner aromatic notes. A rounder acidity, less umami, more recognizable and distinctive.
Kuriso is made from whole Italian black rice from the province of Vercelli, produced by Gli Aironi, transformed into a fragrant and dense syrup using the enzyme amylase. After alcoholic fermentation, it undergoes static acetic fermentation in open barriques for at least 2 years, followed by 1 year of aging in chestnut and oak barrels .
The result is a vinegar with notes of raspberry, ripe banana, and toasted, smoky malt, with a smooth, natural acidity —perfect for signature cuisine. Despite the initial desire to emphasize only the fruity, malty notes, tasting the finished product revealed a light but noticeable savory note. Precisely for this reason, they believe that Kuriso represents an “Italian way” to the fermentation of black rice: a balance between aromatic elegance, depth and naturalness.
Try it in Asian dishes at the end of cooking to balance a sweet and savory sauce, to season raw or cooked vegetables or as a base for a sauce.
Ingredients: black rice
Weight: 250 ml | 8.46 fl oz