[Iwate Prefecture] If you find it, get it immediately! What is pitcher Roki Sasaki’s favorite local seasoning, “vinegar vinegar”?

Did you know that ``vinegar base'', a super local seasoning that is essential to the dining table in the area around Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture, has become a hot topic nationwide?

This time, I would like to introduce the hometown flavor of baseball player and pitcher Roki Sasaki from Iwate Prefecture, along with my impressions of vinegar base after actually eating it.

What is vinegar base?

Vinegar base is a synthetic vinegar that is diluted four times and is a local seasoning sold by Mizuno Soy Sauce Store in Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture.

The most distinctive feature is the strong sourness that will wake you up.
The local practice is to use the undiluted solution without diluting it.

Sour taste that when poured over lean sashimi, it turns the meat white.

Reasons why vinegar base is in short supply

Pitcher Aki Sasaki's Missing Taste

The vinegar base was so popular that orders flooded in, and it became such a huge hit that it was rarely seen in Iwate Prefecture.

The reason for this is that in 2020, pitcher Aki Sasaki of the Chiba Lotte Marines, known as the monster of Reiwa, answered "vinegar base" when asked "What taste do you miss when you come to Kanto" in a Q&A project on the team's SNS? According to pitcher Roki, ``Once you get used to this, regular vinegar won't be enough.''

The Mizuno Soy Sauce Store, which manufactures vinegar base, sells products in a traditional, locally-based manner, and does not offer online orders or publish their phone number.
Despite this, it is said that it received so much attention that it received a flood of telephone inquiries from all over the country.

Along with achieving a perfect match, the popularity of vinegar base has also skyrocketed!

In April 2022, pitcher Aki Sasaki became the 16th person in history to pitch a perfect game for the first time in 28 years, and vinegar will once again be in the spotlight.

As pitcher Aki Sasaki's favorite seasoning, it was introduced in the media one after another, including Nippon Television's morning information program ``ZIP!'' and TV Asahi's ``Choke Yarou,'' and its popularity quickly increased.

It is said that the Iwate Galaxy Plaza, an antenna shop in Iwate Prefecture in Ginza, Tokyo, was so successful that the limited edition of 60 bottles sold out in about an hour and a half.

Several months after achieving the perfect match, vinegar base is out of stock even in his hometown of Ofunato. There were days when it was difficult to obtain it no matter which supermarket I went to.

When a limited number of 300 bottles were sold at the "Golden Country Iwate Ofunato Night Game" held at ZOZO Marine Stadium in June 2022, Ofunato residents who had been invited to the game purchased vinegar at the stadium. It is said that the phenomenon was even occurring.

The local way of using pitcher Aki Sasaki

Pitcher Aki Sasaki's favorite thing to do is ``dip the crab in vinegar and eat it.''

Of course, like the citizens of Ofunato, the home of vinegar base, we eat it undiluted. It is said that people who try vinegar for the first time will choke on the sourness. The way pitcher Roki uses it without diluting it is the local way of eating it.

Vinegar base review

In June 2022, when supplies were still in short supply in Iwate Prefecture, I happened to come across a limited quantity sale at a roadside station in the inland area of ​​southern Iwate Prefecture, not my hometown of Ofunato, so I bought it without hesitation.

An amber-colored liquid visible from the bottle. You can see that it has a different level of sourness compared to regular vinegar.

When you open the lid and bring your nose a little closer, there's a strong pungent smell!

It has a piercing scent. I dipped the gyoza in a sauce that was a mixture of undiluted vinegar and soy sauce.

The moment you take a bite, sparks appear in your vision!
! Maybe I put in a little too much, and even after I finished eating, I still felt something strange on my tongue.

Beginners should be careful about the amount. When I tried eating it with a higher proportion of soy sauce, the refreshing aroma became addictive and the taste became addictive.

It looks like it will be a great ally when eating greasy dishes. Approximately 5 months since purchase. Before I knew it, I had developed a constitution where regular vinegar was not enough for me, just like Roki. It is also used in dishes such as sweet and sour pork and sweet and sour sauce, and has now become an indispensable part of the dining table.

Other tastes of pitcher Roki Sasaki's hometown

Pitcher Aki Sasaki also said that he misses the taste of ``Menko-chan jelly,'' and he had actually never eaten ``Wanko Soba'' or ``Morioka Reimen.'' This may be true for Iwate Prefecture residents who live outside the Morioka area.

The tastes you miss when you leave your hometown are the foods from your hometown that are commonplace on your daily dining table.

What flavor do you miss?

Pitcher Roki Sasaki's hometown flavor, vinegar base, was an addictive seasoning with its intense sourness and refreshing taste.
Please try it once.

INFORMATION

• Manufacturer: Mizuno Soy Sauce Store
• Address: 8-16 Kimimachi, Morimachi, Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture

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