Rice vinegar with kombu kelp

Kombu magic!

For a long time, I didn't especially like simple sunomono dishes in rice vinegar-based dressing. I did not appreciate that edgy, sharp sourness on my tongue and the almost piercing aroma in my nostrils, even if only for a moment – and both of these really stand out when vinegar is not heated with other dressing ingredients such as sugar and soy sauce.

Here is what brought me closer to rice vinegar-based dishes. Kombu kelp-infused rice vinegar. It is nothing but rice vinegar with kombu kelp in it. I keep the jar in the fridge, and add more vinegar as the level goes down. It is very mild, almost sweet somehow, and because of this mellowness, I use slightly more vinegar than I would with plain rice vinegar.