Kuriso - Italian Whole Black Rice Vinegar

Kuriso was born from over ten years of study, experimentation and travel between Italy and Asia, where the production of vinegars from cereals is a millenary tradition.

The alcoholic transformation took place in a controlled manner, while the second fermentation – the acetic one – is the true heart of the process. For Kuriso we adopted the static surface method in small full barrels (barriques), the slowest and most artisanal among those known. We do not use starter cultures: the acetification occurs spontaneously thanks to the microflora present in the barrels and in the environment of the vinegar factory. This makes each batch unique and unrepeatable . During the fermentation, a natural bacterial veil forms on the surface, a distinctive sign of the static method. It is the biofilm of acetobacteria , which grows only in controlled and undisturbed environments.

We have consciously chosen not to follow the traditional oriental saccharification through mushrooms 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 taste.
This choice would have led to a very savory profile, typical of oriental vinegars. Instead, we preferred a different path: focusing only on starches , hydrolyzed by the amylase enzyme, to obtain a fermentable syrup that would generate more fruity, toasted and clean aromatic notes . A more rounded acidity, less umami, more recognizable and identifying.

Kuriso is made from Italian whole black rice from the province of Vercelli, produced by Gli Aironi , transformed into a fragrant and dense syrup through the enzyme amylase. After alcoholic fermentation, it undergoes static acetic fermentation in open barriques for at least two years, and finally a year of refinement in chestnut and oak wood .

The result is a vinegar with notes of raspberry, ripe banana, toasted malt, smoked, with a soft and natural acidity , perfect for signature cuisine. Despite the initial desire to emphasize only the fruity and malty component, tasting the finished product revealed a light but perceptible savoury note.

Precisely for this reason, we believe that Kuriso represents an “Italian way” to the fermentation of black rice: a balance between aromatic elegance, depth and naturalness.

Try it in oriental dishes at the end of cooking to balance a sweet and savoury sauce, to season raw or cooked vegetables or as a base for a sauce.

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