Why source from Japan
Aomori apple supply (>50% of Japan's volume) provides traceable raw material; Mizkan industrial-scale fermentation infrastructure.
Key spec
Acetic acid 4-6%; polyphenol carry-over from apple cider; characteristic light-amber colour and rounded acidity.
Typical end-product
Drinking-vinegar retail (digestive-health positioning), salad dressing OEM, fine-dining vinegar accent.
At a glance
- Suppliers listed
- 1 supplier
- Typical MOQ
- 100 L liquid; 10–50 L specialty grades
- Typical lead time
- 6–10 weeks
- Regions of origin
- Aomori (largest apple supply), Aichi (Mizkan production)
- Category
- Food ingredients
- Harvest season
- Apple harvest September – November; vinegar production year-round
- Japan regulatory status
- Food product; cider vinegar under JAS
- Japanese name
- りんご酢
- Romaji
- りんご酢
About this ingredient
Apple cider vinegar made primarily from Aomori apples — Japan's largest apple-producing region (>50% of national volume). Mizkan and smaller specialty producers in Aomori process apple cider through 1-2 year barrel-aging into a refined vinegar with rounder, less-sharp profile than industrial apple-vinegar concentrate. Marketed in Japan for digestive-health and metabolic-positioning beverages, and increasingly in Western-style salad dressings. Distinct from existing kurozu-kagoshima black-rice vinegar.
Regulatory status
| Japan | Food product; cider vinegar under JAS |
|---|---|
| EU | Food import; cider-vinegar classification |
| United States | GRAS; FDA Prior Notice required |
| China | GACC food facility registration |
Looking for alternatives?
Common reasons buyers swap to a different ingredient — and what we'd suggest based on this ingredient's profile.
Vegan / plant-based alternatives
Ringo (Apple) Cider Vinegar is animal-derived. If you need a non-animal source with similar functions, consider:
Easier China regulatory path
Ringo (Apple) Cider Vinegar faces a more restrictive regulatory pathway in China. These alternatives have a simpler status in that market:
Amazake (Sweet Koji Beverage)
甘酒
MOQ from 50–200 L (bottled) / 20–50 kg (concentrate).
Simpler in China· shares 4 categories
Yamanashi Kyoho Grape
山梨巨峰
Brix 18-20; berry weight ~14g; anthocyanin 40-80 mg/100g (skin); thick skin reduces shelf-life to 1-2 weeks.
Simpler in China· shares 4 categories
Matcha Powder
抹茶
MOQ from 10–50 kg.
Simpler in China· shares 3 categories
When does it make sense to swap an ingredient? Read the swap guide →
Japanese suppliers
Mizkan Holdings Co., Ltd.
ミツカンホールディングス
Handa, AichiEst. 1804English supportExport experienceIndustrial-scale apple cider vinegar
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Last updated: 2026-05-05