Flagship · Koji-fermented Tónico Fermentado Dorado
A few drops transform rice, vegetables, soups, or marinades. Deep, warm, balanced umami — built slowly from chickpeas and plantain vinegar in Pejibaye de Jiménez, Costa Rica.
Not on sale yet. We're preparing the first batches.
Contains: chickpeas (legumes). Naturally fermented — no artificial preservatives or colors.
Not spicy. Aromatic.
The Tónico delivers umami depth with aromatic warmth from ginger and black pepper — no chile heat. The first hit is golden and gentle; the finish is long, brothy, and slightly sweet from the plantain vinegar. Think soy sauce's deeper, slower cousin.
We ferment for weeks, not days. Koji breaks down the chickpea proteins into a savory base; the plantain vinegar adds brightness without sharp acidity. Turmeric and pepper round it out. What comes out of the jar tastes like a place — not a formula.
Six ingredients. That's all.
Sourced within 50 km of the kitchen when possible. What we say on the label is what's in the jar.
- Chickpea koji Fermented in-house · 21 days
- Plantain vinegar From neighboring farms
- Fresh ginger Grown in Cartago province
- Turmeric Whole root, slow-toasted
- Garlic Local, never imported
- Black pepper Cracked at finishing
Four ways we reach for it most.
One bottle goes a long way. Start small — it deepens as it sits.
Over warm rice
Drizzle on plain or sesame rice with herbs. The koji deepens the savory base.
3–4 dropsBrothy soups
Stir into the bowl at the table — heat dulls the aromatics if you cook it in.
½ teaspoonQuick dressings
Whisk with lime, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Pours like a vinaigrette.
1 teaspoonMarinades
Massage into chicken, tofu, or vegetables an hour ahead. The ferment tenderizes.
1 tablespoon- Net volume
- 250 ml
- Shelf life
- Unopened: stable · Opened: 6 mo refrigerated
- Origin
- Pejibaye de Jiménez, Cartago, CR
- Allergens
- Contains chickpeas (legumes)
Ways to start.
Three drops into the bowl. We keep a running list of the ways we reach for it.
The Five-Minute Golden Rice Bowl
Warm rice, three drops, herbs, an egg if there is one. The simplest weeknight bowl in the kitchen.
Get the recipe → What is it?Koji, in one minute.
Where the umami comes from, why we ferment for weeks, and what to expect from your first bottle.
Read the primer → More on the wayNotes from the kitchen.
New recipes land here a few times a month — vinaigrettes, marinades, soups, the occasional cocktail.
Browse the journal →From the finca to the jar.
Creaciones Colibrí is part of Finca Colibrí, a family farm in a green valley in Pejibaye de Jiménez, Cartago. Fruit trees, herbs and chiles are tended there by hand, and our sauces and ferments are made in small batches.