In 1804, Matazaemon Nakano, the founder of Mizkan, came to Edo from Bishu Handa and tried the famous haya sushi (fast sushi) for the first time.
The vinegar used in sushi at the time was rice vinegar. Matazaemon thought that sushi would taste better and be cheaper if sake lees vinegar was used.
When he returned to Handa he began producing sake lees vinegar, which has a reddish hue. In 1845, he launched a premium sake lees vinegar, which he called ‘Yamabuki™.’
The vinegar produced by Matazaemon complemented sushi perfectly, so many sushi chefs in Edo started to use it in their sushi rice. Matazaemon’s vinegar was brought on large wooden ships from Handa to Edo, where it helped to spur the growing popularity of sushi.
Seizaburo Koizumi, brother of Yohei Hanaya IV and author of How to make sushi at home (Katei sushi no tsukekata), wrote that there is no vinegar like the Yamabuki™ made in Bishu Handa for making real sushi. Even Kitaooji Rosanjin wrote in his culinary book that in order to prepare high quality sushi, one must use sake lees or rice vinegar from Aichi (where Handa is located).
