Black vinegar is one of our staple ingredients in the MotherBees kitchen, a traditional tonic for restoring mothers and their loved ones after birth and beyond. A slowly fermented rice vinegar resembling in color an earthy aged whisky, black vinegar packs an acidic punch stirred into soups, stews, and even drinks, while being loaded with essential amino acids and minerals for bodily and tissue repair.
In Chinese medicine, it is believed that cold drinks slow down the functioning of the spleen and the processes of digestion. Even in the thick of summer, people from an array of Asian cultures will sip warm, even hot teas and broths to ensure holistic functioning of the body. We use black vinegar in our handcrafted dishes as an active ingredient to warm the new mother’s body. A woman who has just given birth has shifted from a warm, full yang state, to a more empty and cool yang state, which, combined with loss of the blood during delivery, makes a new mother especially vulnerable to cold food and drinks, which can slow down the circulation of blood necessary for healing. Dishes such as our Ground Lamb Shiitake Stew and our Marinated Mushroom Mix feature the delicious and healing properties of black vinegar.