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The popular idea about vinegar, especially in India where our everyday food does not call for the ingredient, is that it adds a certain sourness to dishes. In fact, vinegar gets its name from the French term vin aigre, which means sour wine. But there is a lot more that vinegar does to food than just add sourness.
Vinegar is made by adding bacteria to any type of alcohol or sugar. The mix is then fermented until acetic acid forms. So, based on the individual flavour profile of the alcohol or sugar base, and the fermentation process itself, each and every kind of vinegar lends a different type of taste, colour and nuance to the dishes they are added to. For example, a simple fillet of chicken cooked with red wine vinegar will taste very different from one cooked with balsamic vinegar.
When this variety of global flavours can be provided by one single ingredient, foodies and homecooks will, naturally, have to stock various vinegars from around the world to get a taste of regional cuisines! If this is something you are interested in, here are some of the most popularly used vinegar types you can easily stock at home.
White Wine Vinegar
As the name suggests, white wine vinegar is made from fermented white wine and used primarily in European cuisines. If you are familiar with the taste of regular distilled vinegar which is white in colour, then you should know that white wine vinegar tastes milder than that. This mild flavour is the main reason why white wine vinegar is used in salad dressings, sauces and even marinades.
ASIN ID - B00L10W11Y
Red Wine Vinegar
Used extensively in French and other European cuisines, including Italian cuisines, red wine vinegar—as the name suggests—is made of naturally fermented red wine. This means that red wine is left alone to ferment naturally for at least six months until it turns sour and intense in flavour. Red wine vinegar is used in salad dressings and marinades like most vinegars, but it is also used specifically for slow-cooked stews, reduction sauces and pickling.
ASIN ID - B00KZBQKDK
Balsamic Vinegar
One of the most popular types of gourmet vinegars, balsamic vinegar is made from Italian grape juice called must. Balsamic vinegar turns sweeter in flavour, darker in colour and thicker in consistency if it is aged for long periods of time. The flavour of aged balsamic vinegar is deep and intense, making it a brilliant addition to salad dressings, marinates and even gravies.
ASIN ID - B00M91RNGM
Rice Vinegar
Also known as rice wine vinegar, this Asian-origin vinegar is made from fermented rice wine. Rice wine vinegar comes in various colours depending on the Asian country of origin—this colour can range from white and brown to red and even black. Each of these rice vinegar varieties are prepared from different rice types, and each has a unique flavour and use. Usually, rice vinegar refers to the white coloured sweet and delicate vinegar used in Asian stir-fries, salads, noodles and vegetables.
ASIN ID - B01M98QVH9
Chinkiang Vinegar
Also known as Zhenjiang vinegar, Chinkiang vinegar is a type of vinegar made from a particular glutinous rice variety from China. This vinegar is aged for at least six months and has a deep, black-ish colour. While the colour of Chinkiang vinegar resembles that of balsamic vinegar, the former is not as sweet as the latter. In fact, Chinkiang vinegar is sharp and sour despite having a deep, rich earthiness. Chinkiang vinegar is used to made intensely flavoured dipping sauces and noodle gravies in Chinese cuisine.
ASIN ID - B07YG4XGBG
Apple Cider Vinegar
This vinegar variety has gained popularity in recent years because of its health benefits. Made from fermented apple juice, apple cider vinegar is sour and sharp in taste. From aiding digestion to improving gut health, apple cider vinegar has plenty of benefits—which is why you should make salad dressings with it to say the least.
ASIN ID - B075DJY7JQ
Sherry Vinegar
Made from sherry wine originating in Spain’s south-western province of Cadiz, sherry vinegar is used predominantly in Spanish and Portuguese cuisines. The sherry wine is fermented naturally for at least six months to create sherry vinegar, and makes for a great substitute for balsamic vinegar. Some types of sherry vinegar, like Reserva and Gran Reserva are aged for longer periods of time, even decades!
ASIN ID - B0711V4L4H
Olive Cider Vinegar
If you were waiting for an Indian-origin vinegar on this list, then this one is for you. Olive cider vinegar, also known as Zaitoon Sirka, is made by fermenting the juice of Indian olives or zaitoon. The concoction is Ayurvedic in nature and has been around for centuries, but mostly in traditional medical circles rather than culinary culture. However, it is believed that the consumption of olive cider vinegar can indeed provide you with lots of health benefits.
ASIN ID - B091TN8ZRD
Malt Vinegar
This one is a very British vinegar indeed! Britain has been a beer-drinking nation for centuries, and malt vinegar has always been in use as beer’s natural byproduct. Barley, from which British beers are mostly sourced, is malted to form beer and then fermented for months on end—until it turns sour and malt vinegar is formed. Malt vinegar is used to cook up British pub favourites, from fish and chips to beans on toast.
ASIN ID - B00O8WUVTQ
Sushi Vinegar
As the name suggests, sushi vinegar is Japanese in origin and is predominantly used to make sushi rice. Basically, sushi vinegar is rice vinegar, but has added sugar, salt and some flavour enhancers that give that sushi you love so much its signature taste and smell. Sushi vinegar is also known as awase-zu or combined vinegar in Japanese, and many locals choose to buy rice wine vinegar and add ingredients to make sushi vinegar at home.
ASIN ID - B00U5SJ41I
