Sweet Fruit Vinegar (2 Flavors)

Highlights

Balsamic vinegar took centuries of Italian tradition to perfect. Korea got there too — just with fruit, clay pots, and a family that's been at it since 1946. Chosanjeong's gamhyangcho, meaning "sweet and aromatic vinegar," is a slow-fermented, fruit-concentrate vinegar with the depth of a fine balsamic — but unmistakably Korean. Available in two flavors: Apple, made from domestic apples grown at the foot of Mt. Sobaek, and Citrus, made from Jeju tangerines. Both are made by National Food Master Han Sang-jun (No. 94), whose family has passed down the fermentation method for three generations.

— Apple —
Ingredients: Apple concentrate (Korea, 72 Brix) 100%
Purity check: No added water, no preservatives, no added sugar
Process: HACCP Certified; FDA Registered
Net weight: 370g (13.05 oz)
Storage: Store at room temperature before opening. After opening, keep in a cool, shaded place away from direct sunlight.

— Citrus —
Ingredients: Jeju tangerine concentrate (Korea, 60% solids) 86%, purified water
Purity check: No preservatives, no added sugar
Process: HACCP Certified; FDA Registered
Net weight: 340g (11.99 oz)
Storage: Store in a cool, shaded place away from direct sunlight before opening. Refrigerate after opening.

발사믹 식초처럼 진하고 고급스럽지만, 이건 한국식이에요. 초산정 감향초는 통과일을 가마솥에 직접 졸이고 황토 옹기에서 발효해 땅속에서 숙성시킨 농축 과일 식초예요. 한상준 명인(식품명인 제94호)이 3대째 이어온 전통 발효 비법으로 만들어요. 사과와 감귤, 두 가지 버전으로 구성되어 있습니다.

Description

What is gamhyangcho?
The word gamhyangcho translates literally to "sweet and aromatic vinegar" — and that's exactly what it is. Unlike standard fruit vinegars, which are often little more than acidic water with added flavoring, gamhyangcho is a concentrate: whole fruit is reduced in iron cauldrons over low heat, then fermented in handcrafted loess pottery — unglazed earthenware containers that allow the vinegar to breathe — for 500 days. After fermentation, the liquid is moved to underground cellars, buried in loess pottery in shaded soil, and left to age for one to three years. The process pulls the fruit's natural sugars, amino acids, and organic acids into something thick, complex, and deeply layered. The acidity sits around 2.6% — noticeably gentler than commercial vinegar — which is part of why it works so well as both a cooking ingredient and a straight sip. Chosanjeong has been making it this way since 1946, and the current master, Han Sang-jun, was officially designated Korea's National Food Master No. 94 in 2024.

Apple: the dark one
The apple version is the richer of the two. Domestic apples from the foothills of Mt. Sobaek — a region known for clean air and mineral-rich soil — are juiced, then slowly reduced in iron cauldrons until they reach a syrupy 72 Brix concentrate. From there, the liquid goes into loess pottery for fermentation, then underground for three years of aging. The result is a deeply dark, almost molasses-colored vinegar with a smooth, rounded apple flavor that lingers. It's made without a single drop of added water; what you're getting is pure, concentrated fruit transformed by time. If you've cooked with aged balsamic, the register is familiar — but the apple character keeps it distinctly its own.

Citrus: the bright one
The citrus version starts with Jeju tangerines, which are reduced and concentrated to 50 Brix — roughly ten times the intensity of fresh juice. The signature golden color is all fruit: vivid, luscious, and immediate. A single 340g bottle contains the equivalent of about 27 Jeju tangerines. Where the apple vinegar is low and slow, the citrus is lively and aromatic — sweet, tart, and distinctly citrusy without being harsh. One thing worth knowing: unlike most thick concentrates, it stays fluid even after refrigeration, which makes it easy to pour straight from the bottle.

Chef's tip
The apple version is the one to reach for when you'd normally use balsamic — drizzled over a cheese board with aged cheddar or manchego, stirred into a pan sauce for steak or duck, splashed into a French onion soup for depth, or spooned over vanilla ice cream when you want to feel like you know something other people don't. Mix it with good olive oil at a 1:1 ratio for a bread dip that tastes like it came from a very good restaurant. The citrus version plays a different game: shake it into a vinaigrette with sesame oil and a little honey, use it as a ponzu stand-in for shabu-shabu or cold noodles, stir it into yogurt, or dilute 1:5 with sparkling water for a drink that's genuinely refreshing without being sweet. Both are mild enough to take a straight teaspoon as a daily health tonic — and honestly, that's not a bad habit to build.

감향초
말 그대로 '달고 향기로운 식초'예요. 일반 과일 식초와 달리 통과일을 가마솥에 직접 졸여 농축한 뒤, 황토 옹기에서 500일간 발효하고 그늘진 땅속에서 1~3년을 더 숙성시켜요. 과일의 천연 당분과 아미노산, 유기산이 응축되어 일반 식초보다 산도가 낮고(약 2.6도) 맛이 훨씬 부드럽고 깊어요. 1946년부터 3대째 전통 방식 그대로, 2024년 대한민국 식품명인 제94호로 지정된 한상준 명인이 직접 만듭니다.

사과 감향초
소백산 자락에서 자란 국내산 사과를 가마솥에 졸여 72브릭스로 농축한 뒤, 황토 옹기에서 발효하고 땅속에서 3년을 숙성시켰어요. 물 한 방울 없이 순수하게 사과만으로 만든 진한 검은빛의 농축 식초로, 발사믹 식초가 쓰이는 어느 자리에도 자연스럽게 어울려요. 부드럽고 깊은 사과향이 오래 남아요.

감귤 감향초
제주 감귤을 50브릭스로 10배 농축해 만들어요. 340g 한 병에 제주 감귤 약 27개가 들어 있어요. 선명한 노란 빛깔에 새콤달콤한 향이 살아있고, 냉장 보관 후에도 꾸덕해지지 않아 따르기 편해요.

이렇게 써보세요
사과 감향초는 치즈 보드에 발사믹 대신 올리거나, 올리브 오일과 1:1로 섞어 빵을 찍어 드세요. 스테이크·생선구이 소스, 수프, 피자, 아이스크림 토핑으로도 잘 어울려요. 감귤 감향초는 샐러드 드레싱, 샤브샤브 폰즈 소스, 요거트 믹스, 탄산수와 1:5 희석해 건강 음료로 즐겨보세요. 두 제품 모두 매일 원액 한 티스푼씩 건강 보조제로 드셔도 좋아요.

About

Chosanjeong has been making fermented vinegar in Yecheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do since 1946 — a region chosen, in part, for its exceptionally clean water and mountain air. What started as one family's craft has continued, unchanged in method, for three generations. The current master, Han Sang-jun, carries forward a fermentation process built around slow time and natural materials: loess pottery vessels, underground aging cellars, and a refusal to rush. Their grain vinegar was the first in Korea to receive the Traditional Food Quality Certification (Korea Food Research Institute No. 378). Under Han's stewardship, Chosanjeong has earned HACCP certification and FDA registration, and the gamhyangcho line has been introduced internationally through Chef Peter Gilmore, winner of the Sydney Chef of the Year award. In 2024, Han Sang-jun was officially recognized as Korea's National Food Master No. 94 — a government designation awarded to artisans who have preserved and advanced Korea's culinary heritage.

초산정은 물 맑고 공기 좋은 경북 예천에서 1946년부터 3대째 발효식초를 만들어온 전통 식초 전문 업체예요. 황토 옹기에서의 자연 발효, 땅속 숙성이라는 옛 방식을 지금도 그대로 고집하고 있어요. 대한민국 곡물식초 최초로 전통식품 품질인증(식품연 제378호)을 획득했고, HACCP 인증과 FDA 등록을 마쳤어요. 현 대표 한상준 명인은 2024년 대한민국 식품명인 제94호로 지정되었으며, 호주 시드니에서 올해의 셰프상을 수상한 피터 길모어 셰프를 통해 해외에도 소개되고 있어요.