Rice Vinegar

Chinese rice vinegars are milder, sweeter, and less acidic than regular vinegar, which is European in origin. Rice vinegar comes in three basic types – white, black, and red rice vinegar. They are popular used in Chinese cuisine.

Chinese rice vinegar

This type of rice vinegar is made from fermented rice and often colorless in appearance, it is more similar to regular vinegar as the acidity and flavor. White rice vinegar is for sweet and sour dishes and pickling vegetables.

Black rice vinegar is usually made from sweet rice, Chinkiang vinegar, is considered the best quality black rice vinegar in China, it has a unique smoky flavor and dark brown in color. Black rice vinegar is commonly used in braied dishes, sometimes served as a dipping sauce for dumplings, for example.

It is darker than white rice vinegar, however, lighter than black one, it is made with fermented red yeast rice, typically used in noodles, soups, and so on.

Rice vinegar is commonly used in salad, stir-fries, and other dishes in China. However, there is really no Chinese rice vinegar that can be equally substituted for regular white rice vinegar.

Red rice vinegar is a little harder to find in Western supermarkets, but you can easily find all three types in Asian groceries.