【Reading】あかしゃり

【English Name】Akashari (Red Vinegar Sushi Rice)

Aka-shari is vinegared rice finished with red vinegar (akazu) made from sake lees. Characterized by an appearance tinged from reddish-brown to amber, it is widely known as the traditional shari in Edomae sushi.

The birth of red vinegar dates back to the late Edo period. At the time, rice vinegar made from rice was expensive, so the sake lees generated in the sake-brewing process were utilized to develop a cheaper vinegar. It is said that the spread advanced when Nakano Matazaemon, the founder of Mizkan (established in 1804), delivered red vinegar to the nigiri-sushi stalls of Edo.

Production requires a long period—2 to 3 years for the aging of the sake lees and a further six months or so for acetic-acid fermentation—so a total of 3 to 4 years is needed until completion. Compared with rice vinegar, its sourness is milder, and because it is rich in amino acids, its depth of body and umami is profound. The mellow aroma derived from sake lees is also a major attraction.

In the postwar Showa era, partly influenced by a preference for white foods, rice vinegar became mainstream and red vinegar temporarily declined. However, from the Heisei era onward, the depth of its flavor was reappraised, and the number of sushi restaurants adopting aka-shari is increasing. It is said to go well with strongly flavored toppings such as tuna, gizzard shad (kohada), and conger eel (anago), and its selective use alongside white shari (rice-vinegar shari) is also drawing attention.