Vinegar
A little vinegar in Sashimi soy sauce; A dash of vinegar in the Mimiga (pig's ear) sauce. With its sharp, acidic, somewhat unpleasant smell in the nostrils, vinegar is a seasoning close to the hearts of the people of Okinawa.
Mainly used as a preservative for fresh pork and other fresh foods, and also fed to hogs as a feed supplement, this vinegar is called "Kashije" and comes from the dregs of sake.
Hogs fed on Kashije have good appetite, stronger disease resistance, and yield good lean pork. Awamori is distilled by fermenting unrefined sake ("Moromi") with black yeast to take out a portion of the alcohol. The black yeast fermentation leaves Kashije rich in germ-killing citric acid. After distillation, citric acid remains. The main component of undistilled liquor, citric acid, contains lots of organic acids and essential amino acids, as well as carbohydrates and protein, which convert fats to energy, increase metabolism and fight fatigue, and in general are powerful natural curatives. They are also useful in slimming diets and in promoting beautiful skin. Noting these benefits, Awamori distilleries are commercializing "Moromisu" and the product is drawing increasing attention as a new Okinawan health food. This is a byproduct of the rare black yeast fermentation process by which Awamori is produced.
Moreover, for many, many years now, it has been used for juice and enjoyed for its acidity in Sashimi soy sauce. It is rich in various flavinoids (co-enzymes). The effectiveness of these in fighting cancer and rheumatism has been shown in published research with the small fruit, Shikwasa.
With lots of vitamin B1, carotene and various minerals, it is effective against fatigue and for promoting a healthful beauty.
Other than this vinegar, the product that is most popular on Okinawa's dinner tables is Marokome vinegar.
Although the product is manufactured in Kagoshima, nevertheless in Okinawa, "vinegar" generally means Marukome. Prudent people carry along some Marukome vinegar when they go swimming in the ocean. The sting of the Habu jellyfish is painful. But putting some undiluted Marukome vinegar at 15% concentration on a sting will quickly draw the poison.
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