mybest
Condiments

Helping You Find the Best

Close
  1. TOP
  2. Food and drinks
  3. Condiments
  4. 9 Best Tried and True Sushi Vinegars in 2022 (Seasoning Sommelier-Reviewed)
  • 9 Best Tried and True Sushi Vinegars in 2022 (Seasoning Sommelier-Reviewed) 1
  • 9 Best Tried and True Sushi Vinegars in 2022 (Seasoning Sommelier-Reviewed) 2
  • 9 Best Tried and True Sushi Vinegars in 2022 (Seasoning Sommelier-Reviewed) 3
  • 9 Best Tried and True Sushi Vinegars in 2022 (Seasoning Sommelier-Reviewed) 4
  • 9 Best Tried and True Sushi Vinegars in 2022 (Seasoning Sommelier-Reviewed) 5

9 Best Tried and True Sushi Vinegars in 2022 (Seasoning Sommelier-Reviewed)

When you eat sushi, you want sushi that tastes authentic and fresh. What fish and what rice you use is important, of course, but sushi vinegar is an often underrated ingredient in sushi-making. Sushi vinegar is an indispensable ingredient that gives the rice its depth of flavor. But with many options on the market, how do you choose one?

In order to find the best, we ordered the 13 most popular bottles of vinegar from Japan’s e-commerce giants (such as Amazon and Yahoo Shopping) and tested them all. We also invited three certified seasoning sommeliers and asked them to taste each product. The three experts then compared the following:


  1. Balance of Sweet and Sour
  2. How Well It Goes with Rice

This is how we tested and found the most exceptional sushi vinegars, with Marushima Food's Hokkaido Sushi Vinegar with Kombu Dashi taking our top spot.

※For those that are unfamiliar with seasoning sommeliers, they are professionals that have passed an exam proctored by the Japan Seasoning Meisters Association.

Last updated 09/26/2023
Megumi Yoshida
Expert
Food and Wine Expert
Megumi Yoshida

Megumi is a certified wine and Japanese sake expert as well as is a vegetable sommelier, seasoning sommelier, vegetable and fruit beauty advisor, junior food education meister, food coach, IFA olive specialist, and Edo Tokyo vegetable concierge. She wears many hats, crafting and publishing family-oriented recipes, writing columns, teaching at a cultural center, running the Aomori Vegetable Marché, and making radio appearances.

Megumi Yoshida's Profile
…Continue reading
Yoko Tsujii
Expert
Seasoning Sommelier
Yoko Tsujii

She's a cooking professional that holds many certifications, including that of vegetable sommelier and seasoning sommelier. She works to share the joy that comes through food and cooking with children, who are our future. She conducts short courses for elementary schoolers and above.

Yoko Tsujii's Profile
…Continue reading
mybest US Editors
Guide
Editing Dept.
mybest US Editors

mybest US' editing team consists of experienced members who have backgrounds in writing, editing, translation, and more. We are dedicated to researching what makes a product or service the best to users in the US in order to create top-quality articles. From skincare, to kitchen appliances, and to DIY supplies, our mission is to find the best ones for you.

mybest US Editors's Profile
…Continue reading
The expert oversees the Buying Guide only, and does not determine the products and services featured.

Table of Contents

How to Choose Sushi Vinegars

Sushi vinegar can be astringent or mellow; it can contain other underlying flavors or be clean and plain. Actually, there’s a lot you can tell about the flavor of a vinegar from simply reading the labels. In this section, we'd like to introduce one thing you should definitely look out for when picking out sushi vinegar.

1

Look For Any Special Flavorings

It's natural to think that all bottles of sushi vinegar would have more or less the same ingredients, but it turns out that that’s not always the case. 


Depending on the brand, you can get all sort of flavors: bottles of vinegar where acidity is prized over mellowness or where sweet and sour is perfectly balanced. You can even find sushi vinegar that’s been infused with kelp or honey.

Check if Any Kombu Dashi Has Been Used

Check if Any Kombu Dashi Has Been Used
First off, you want to see if there’s any kombu dashi in the bottle. Kombu dashi is a stock made from kelp, and when it’s used as an ingredient in sushi vinegar, the final product usually turns out smooth and mellow and light and sweet, rather than sour.


If you’re worried about buying vinegar that’s too sharp, or if you want a softer, more layered flavor, then get a bottle that includes kelp stock.

See if It’s Been Labeled as Sweet or Light

See if It’s Been Labeled as Sweet or Light
Sometimes, sushi vinegar will be labeled as amakuchi, which means that it has been developed to have a sweeter taste. Sushi vinegar normally contains sugar, but amakuchi bottles will have an extra helping of it.


Sweet vinegar is well suited for marinades and Chinese food. It’s often used to pickle vegetables or to tamp down sharper-tasting produce, such as onions, since vinegar that’s too sour will mask the delicate flavors of your veggies. Sweet vinegar is also used for Chinese dishes like sweet-and-sour pork..


However, you don’t want to use sweet vinegar in sushi. If your rice gets too sweet, it will overwhelm the umami of the fish. So when you make sushi, rolls, or chirashi bowls, you want to avoid sushi vinegar that contains kelp stock and honey.

Was the Buying Guide helpful?

9 Best Sushi Vinegars Ranking

Here are the best Sushi Vinegars, ranked according to 9 Best Sushi Vinegars (as of 11-04-2022). The products are ranked independently by mybest.
Popularity
Products
Image
Click to purchase
Price
Key features
1

Marushima Foods

Hokkaido Sushi Vinegar with Kombu Dashi300 ml.

Marushima Foods Hokkaido Sushi Vinegar with Kombu Dashi 1

$10.52

High Mid

An Exquisite Balance of Sweet, Sour, and Salty

2

Uchibori Brewing

Sushi Vinegar360 ml.

Uchibori Brewing Sushi Vinegar 1

$2.40

Low Mid

Just the Right Amount of Acidity to Bring Out the Umami of Rice

3

Seikatsu Club

Gensen Sozai Sushi Vinegar360 ml.

Seikatsu Club Gensen Sozai Sushi Vinegar 1

$2.80

Low Mid

Has a Sourness to It that Whets the Appetite! Also Goes Well with Rice

4

Marushosu Jozomoto

Sushi Vinegar300 ml.

Marushosu Jozomoto Sushi Vinegar 1

$7.43

Mid

Just the Right Amount of Acidity and a Refreshing Aftertaste

5

TOPVALU

Sushi Vinegar with Rishiri Kelp360 ml.

TOPVALU Sushi Vinegar with Rishiri Kelp 1

$1.78

Low Mid

A Skillful Balance of Kelp and Sweet and Sour Elements

6

Fuji

Sushi Vinegar360 ml.

Fuji Sushi Vinegar 1

$19.10

High Mid

Mellow and Smooth on the Tongue, Almost Like Yogurt

7

Uchibori Brewing

Mino Tokusen Sushi Vinegar360 ml.

Uchibori Brewing Mino Tokusen Sushi Vinegar 1

$9.83

Mid

It’s Got a Refined Taste, but Little Acidity

8

Ohyama Foods

Sushi Vinegar500 ml.

Ohyama Foods Sushi Vinegar 1

$5.77

Mid

The Acidity’s a Bit Weak, but Good for Sweet Lovers

9

Uchibori Brewing

Amakuchi Sushi Vinegar with Dashi360 ml.

Uchibori Brewing Amakuchi Sushi Vinegar with Dashi 1

$22.82

High Mid

Slightly Sweet and Could Be Good for Kids

If you don't see the product you're looking for, you can request that it be listed.
No.1

Marushima FoodsHokkaido Sushi Vinegar with Kombu Dashi300 ml.

Hokkaido Sushi Vinegar with Kombu Dashi 1
Reference price
$10.52
High Mid
Reference price
$10.52
High Mid

An Exquisite Balance of Sweet, Sour, and Salty

Our experts determined that this vinegar had the best mix of sweet, sour, and salty elements. One even went so far as to say, “The fragrance of the vinegar is so strong that when you taste it, the acidity travels all the way to the depths of your mouth.” 

This is a perfectly seasoned bottle, where the spices complement, rather than mask, the flavor of the vinegar. The refreshing sourness also helped in bringing out the flavor of rice. If you were to pair this with raw fish, the umami of all the ingredients would only be further enhanced.


This is a versatile vinegar: it would go well with both temaki and nigiri sushi that features flavorful fish; it also could be used to marinade onions or season sweet-and-sour pork. It’s perfect if you want to use the same bottle of vinegar for all your dishes.
Was this Ranking helpful?
No.2

Uchibori BrewingSushi Vinegar360 ml.

Reference price
$2.40
Low Mid

Just the Right Amount of Acidity to Bring Out the Umami of Rice

Our experts judged this to be an exceptional vinegar that can bring out the natural sweetness of rice. It had a refreshing sourness to it that melded with rice in just the right way, resulting in a deep and rich flavor. There was none of that unpleasant bite that some vinegars have, and the fragrance was refined.

One of our experts did find the vinegar just a bit acidic, but overall, the flavors were well balanced. It had what we’d call a gentle taste to it, so it’d work well in chirashi bowls, as well as temaki and nigiri sushi.
No.3

Seikatsu ClubGensen Sozai Sushi Vinegar360 ml.

Gensen Sozai Sushi Vinegar 1
Reference price
$2.80
Low Mid
Reference price
$2.80
Low Mid

Has a Sourness to It that Whets the Appetite! Also Goes Well with Rice

The acidity of this vinegar came off just a bit strong, but it did well in stirring up our appetites. Some worried that, because this vinegar is quite strong, it might mask the flavor of the rice–but if you make sure to use a little less vinegar than usual, it shouldn’t be much of an issue.

The sweet and sour elements are very well balanced, so this vinegar can be used for almost anything: temaki and nigiri sushi, marinades, and Chinese food.
No.4

Marushosu JozomotoSushi Vinegar300 ml.

Sushi Vinegar 1
Reference price
$7.43
Mid
Reference price
$7.43
Mid

Just the Right Amount of Acidity and a Refreshing Aftertaste

It started off sweet, but the acidity came right after. That sudden shock of sweet threw off our experts, and they had a harder time grading this vinegar.

The aftertaste was light and refreshing thanks to the acidity, but some also thought the sweetness could be tamped down on. Because it was just a bit sugary, the vinegar was simply decent when we mixed it with rice. It's neither bad nor good.
No.5

TOPVALUSushi Vinegar with Rishiri Kelp360 ml.

Sushi Vinegar with Rishiri Kelp 1
Reference price
$1.78
Low Mid
Reference price
$1.78
Low Mid

A Skillful Balance of Kelp and Sweet and Sour Elements

Our experts agreed that everything was very well balanced in this vinegar. It was rich and fragrant, and yet it had a light and mild taste to it that whets the appetite. Because it was just the right blend of acidity, sweetness, and kombu dashi, it’d go well with both chirashi bowls and temaki sushi.
No.6

FujiSushi Vinegar360 ml.

Sushi Vinegar 1
Reference price
$19.10
High Mid
Reference price
$19.10
High Mid

Mellow and Smooth on the Tongue, Almost Like Yogurt

It had a mellow taste to it that reminded our experts of yogurt. It also went well with rice. The vinegar itself had a naturally unique fragrance, so we reckon it’d be good with both nigiri and temaki sushi.
No.7

Uchibori BrewingMino Tokusen Sushi Vinegar360 ml.

Mino Tokusen Sushi Vinegar 1
Reference price
$9.83
Mid
Reference price
$9.83
Mid

It’s Got a Refined Taste, but Little Acidity

It had just the right amount of sweetness, but almost no acidity. Still, it might go well with something like a chirashi bowl. The flavor is light and mild.
No.8

Ohyama FoodsSushi Vinegar500 ml.

Reference price
$5.77
Mid

The Acidity’s a Bit Weak, but Good for Sweet Lovers

All three of our experts agreed that sweetness was the most prominent feature of this vinegar. It was so sweet, in fact, that it masked the natural fragrance of the rice. However, if you are looking for a sweeter seasoning, this vinegar is a good choice.
No.9

Uchibori BrewingAmakuchi Sushi Vinegar with Dashi360 ml.

Amakuchi Sushi Vinegar with Dashi 1
Reference price
$22.82
High Mid
Reference price
$22.82
High Mid

Slightly Sweet and Could Be Good for Kids

We smelt it, and it was fragrant, but when we tasted it, it was kind of thin. We couldn't taste the umami of the rice when this vinegar was mixed with it. It did have a pleasing sweetness to it, so this vinegar might be popular with the kids.

How We Tested the Sushi Vinegars

How We Tested the Sushi Vinegars

After picking out the 13 top sushi vinegars, of which some didn't make the cut, from e-commerce sites such as Amazon and Yahoo Shopping, we tested each for the following two things:


  1. Balance of Sweet and Sour
  2. How Well It Goes with Rice

Test ①: Balance of Sweet and Sour

Test ①: Balance of Sweet and Sour

First, we tested how well the sweet and sour elements in the vinegar balanced each other out. A lot of people think that the more fragrant and sour a vinegar is, the better it is, but that's actually incorrect. The truth is that if the vinegar is too strong, it could overpower the natural umami of the foods you’re trying to season.


We had our three experts grade each bottle of vinegar on both the fragrance and how well sweet and sour were balanced on a scale from 1.0 to 5.0. They smelled each vinegar before tasting it. They then tasted each and shared how well they thought the sweet and sour flavors played together.

Be Wary of Sushi Vinegar that is So Sweet, You Can’t Taste the Acid

Be Wary of Sushi Vinegar that is So Sweet, You Can’t Taste the Acid
You’d think that because vinegar is acidic, it would be pretty sour, right? But out of the sugary bottles of vinegar we tested, there were a few where the sweetness of the sugar overpowered the taste and fragrance of the vinegar.


Sweeter bottles of vinegar pair well with vegetables but not with rice, so for the purposes of this test, they tended to fall at the bottom of our ranking. After all, when the vinegar is too sugary, the light natural sweetness of your rice can’t come through.


On the other hand, bottles that brought out the natural fragrance and acidity of vinegar tended to do well during our tests, seeing as they pair well with rice. The main takeaway is this: if you plan to season rice, do not get sweetened vinegar.

Megumi Yoshida
Food and Wine Expert
Megumi Yoshida
The flavors in Uchibori Brewing's Sushi Vinegar were well balanced. It's got a light taste and a refreshingly sour fragrance. A mild flavor like this would be good for those who are worried about the vinegar being too biting.

Test ②: How Well It Goes With Rice

Test ②: How Well It Goes With Rice
If you’re going to use vinegar in sushi, then how well it goes with rice is pretty important. For our second test, we mixed vinegar with rice, which we then had our experts taste.


We then asked them to grade the vinegar on a scale from 1.0 to 5.0, depending on how well it paired with rice.

Light and Refreshing Flavors Tend to Go Well With Rice

Light and Refreshing Flavors Tend to Go Well With Rice
In the end, it was the bottles where the natural fragrance and acidity of the vinegar came through that did well. Most fish that’s served as sashimi tastes pretty strong, so if you don’t mix in a suitably sour vinegar, the flavor of your sushi rice isn’t going to come through.


In fact, the bottles that let the natural flavors of the vinegar shine through were so good, our experts said they could eat them with just rice. Sour vinegar also tends to feel lighter on the tongue, and it both enhances the light sweetness of rice and brings out the umami of fish.

Yoko Tsujii
Seasoning Sommelier
Yoko Tsujii
Marushima Food's Hokkaido Sushi Vinegar with Konbu Dashi did a great job balancing sweet, sour, and salty elements! It was quite acidic, but it would go well with raw fish, so I really recommend this one for sushi rice.

Looking for More Sushi-Related Goods?

Sushi isn't made up of just the vinegar—you'll be needing various condiments, tools, and, of course, rice! Check out the links below to find more products that'll help you start gathering ingredients to make the delicious dish.

Top 5 Sushi Vinegars

No. 1: Marushima FoodsHokkaido Sushi Vinegar with Kombu Dashi300 ml.

No. 2: Uchibori BrewingSushi Vinegar360 ml.

No. 3: Seikatsu ClubGensen Sozai Sushi Vinegar360 ml.

No. 4: Marushosu JozomotoSushi Vinegar300 ml.

No. 5: TOPVALUSushi Vinegar with Rishiri Kelp360 ml.

View Full Ranking
The descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
  1. TOP
  2. Food and drinks
  3. Condiments
  4. 9 Best Tried and True Sushi Vinegars in 2022 (Seasoning Sommelier-Reviewed)

Search by category

mybest

We connect users with the best tried and true products,
tested by our in-house guides and backed by expert insight.

Copyright mybest All Rights Reserved.