Rice vinegar facts for kids
Rice vinegar is a special type of vinegar made from rice that has been fermented. It's very popular in countries like China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.
People use rice vinegar in many ways. It's a great seasoning, a tasty dressing for salads, and a dipping sauce for foods like sushi and jiaozi (dumplings). Some kinds of rice vinegar are even enjoyed as drinks!
Contents
Chinese Rice Vinegar
Chinese rice vinegars are usually stronger in flavor than Japanese ones. They come in many colors, from clear to red, brown, and even black. This is why they are sometimes called rice wine vinegars.
Compared to vinegars from Western countries, Chinese rice vinegars are less sour (less acidic). This means you can't easily swap them in recipes. Most Asian rice vinegars are also milder and sweeter than Western ones, but black vinegar is a big exception!
Different Kinds of Chinese Rice Vinegar
- White Rice Vinegar: This vinegar is clear or a very light yellow. It's more sour than other Chinese vinegars, but still milder than Western white vinegars.
- Black Vinegar: This type is very popular, especially in southern China. A famous black vinegar is Chinkiang vinegar, which comes from the city of Zhenjiang. Another well-known one is Baoning vinegar from Sichuan. Black rice vinegar is usually made from black glutinous rice, but sometimes millet or sorghum are used. It has a dark color and a deep, sometimes smoky taste. It's also made in Hong Kong. There's a different black vinegar in northern China made from other grains like sorghum and peas.
- Red Rice Vinegar: This vinegar gets its special red color from something called red yeast rice. This red yeast gives the vinegar its unique flavor.
In cooking, if a recipe calls for Chinese vinegar, you might need to use less Western white vinegar because it's stronger. For example, one tablespoon of Chinkiang vinegar is about as strong as half a tablespoon of Western white vinegar.
Japanese Rice Vinegar
Japanese rice vinegar (called komezu or simply su) is very mild and smooth. It's not as sour as most Western vinegars, having only about 5% acetic acid (the sour part of vinegar). It can be clear or a pale yellow.
It's made from either rice or the leftover bits from making sake (a Japanese rice wine). These are called yonezu (from rice) and kasuzu (from sake lees). Japanese vinegars are used to make sunomono (vinegar dishes), some tsukemono (pickles), and nimono (simmered dishes). They also help to make strong smells from fish or meat less noticeable.
Seasoned Rice Vinegar
Seasoned rice vinegar (called awasezu) is made by adding sake, salt, and sugar to regular rice vinegar. Sometimes, a sweet cooking wine called mirin is also added. You can make awasezu at home, or buy it ready-made at the store.
This special vinegar is very important for making sushi. It's mixed with cooked rice to give sushi its unique flavor. It's also used in popular salad dressings, like ginger or sesame dressing.
Akazu and Kurozu
Traditionally, a type of red rice vinegar called akazu was used for sushi. This vinegar was made from sake lees that were aged for a very long time, sometimes up to 20 years!
Japan also makes a lighter kind of black vinegar called kurozu. It's made from rice and is often thought of as a healthy drink. Some people believe it has many good things for your body, like amino acids. Scientists have even studied kurozu for its possible health benefits.
Korean Rice Vinegar
In Korean cooking, rice vinegar is called ssal-sikcho. It can be made from white or brown rice, and sometimes glutinous rice is used too. The rice is mixed with a special starter called nuruk to begin the fermentation.
Another way to make Korean rice vinegar is by using the leftovers from making rice wine. This kind of vinegar is often called makgeolli-sikcho (rice wine vinegar). Some traditional Korean rice vinegars are even listed in the Ark of Taste, which is a catalog of special heritage foods.
Vietnamese Rice Vinegar
In Vietnam, rice vinegar is called dấm gạo or giấm gạo.
One type is the spicy and sour giấm bỗng. It's made from a specific kind of rice and is a key ingredient in dishes like vịt om giấm bổng (duck stewed with giấm bỗng), bún riêu (crab noodle soup), and bún ốc (snail noodle soup). This vinegar is especially famous from Vân village in Bắc Giang province.
Another Vietnamese rice vinegar is the lightly sour hèm. It's used in dishes like ốc bươu hấp hèm (snails steamed with hèm) and gà hấp hèm (chicken steamed with hèm), which are specialties of Hóc Môn district in Ho Chi Minh City.
There's also mẻ rice vinegar, which is very sour. It's used in trâu luộc mẻ (buffalo boiled with mẻ), a special dish from Cần Thơ city.
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Vinagre de arroz para niños
