| Following on from soy sauce we of course have to talk about another of the most important types of Chinese sauces: vinegar 醋 cù. There are three main types of Chinese vinegar: black, red and white. However, there are also some further variations among these.  Black rice vinegar 香醋 xiāng cù Firstly, we have what is probably the most famous type of vinegar which is a black Chinese rice vinegar (米醋 mǐcù). This type of vinegar originates from Zhenjiang (镇江 zhènjiāng) in Jiangsu Province (江苏省 jiāngsū shěng) so is also often referred to as Zhenjiang or Chinkiang vinegar (镇江香醋 zhènjiāng xiāngcù). Generally, this black vinegar is made from glutinous rice and it is the most common vinegar you’ll see outside of China. In restaurants this will also be the most likely vinegar that you’ll find on the table to add to dishes. It has a mildly acidic taste, but if you find the flavour too strong it can be mixed with soy sauce to make it a little less intense. It is used to braise meat and fish, in dressings for cold dishes, on noodles and of course as a dipping sauce for dumplings. Mature black vinegar 陈醋 chéncù Now, this is also a type of black vinegar, however unlike the one we just looked at this isn’t a rice vinegar. Instead, it’s made from sorghum, barley and peas. This vinegar also hails from a different part of China: Shanxi Province (陕西省 shǎnxī shěng). Along with not being made from rice, the other main difference between this and standard black vinegar is that it is aged for at least a year. This makes it have a much stronger taste than Zhejiang black vinegar. If you’re a vinegar lover this may be the best choice for dipping sauces. Dumpling vinegar 饺子醋 jiǎozi cù No surprises here, this is the perfect vinegar for dipping your dumplings in! Now as we’ve already said any black vinegar is perfectly acceptable to use with dumplings. But, if the main reason for buying vinegar is as a dipping sauce for dumplings then you can’t go wrong with this! So, what makes this vinegar different to the previous two? Dumpling vinegar is normally mature vinegar with garlic and salt (sometimes this can also be soy sauce) added, some brands also add ginger. The taste is less strong than mature vinegar and some brands may also use black vinegar instead. Basically, dumpling vinegar can actually vary quite a lot! White vinegar 白醋 báicù Chinese white rice vinegar is made from fermented rice and varies in colour from clear to a pale yellow. Of all the Chinese vinegars is the most similar to Western vinegars and also the most acidic. However, it is still more mild than Western vinegars. As it’s made from fermenting rice wine further to make it into vinegar it’s also sometimes referred to as rice wine vinegar. White vinegar is generally used when you want to make a dish sour but not affect the colouring of the dish. For example, when making Chinese quick pickles (跳水泡菜 tiàoshuǐ pàocài). Another very common dish where white vinegar is used is sour and spicy shredded potato (酸辣土豆丝 suān là tǔdòu sī). Red vinegar 大红浙醋 dà hóng zhè cù Red Chinese rice vinegar is made from red yeast rice (红曲米 hóng qū mǐ) which gives it a distinct red hue. It originates from Zhejiang Province (浙江省 zhèjiāng shěng). Not to be confused with the city of Zhenjiang where the most common black vinegar hails from. This is a very mild vinegar and is the least commonly used, mainly being used in Zhejiang cuisine. |
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