Rice Wine Vinegar

Various types of vinegars like red, black, and white are available in market. Rice wine vinegar can be clear (colorless), pale yellow or amber. It is a popular ingredient in Asian dishes. In Chinese and Japanese cuisine it is used in various ways and in various types of dishes. The Chinese use black vinegar for stir frying while the Japanese use lighter and sweeter versions like 'mirin'. Some Korean varieties are quite stronger.

Rice Wine Vinegar vs. Rice Vinegar

When an alcoholic drink is exposed to air, it turns sour. The exposure to air converts the alcohol into acetic acid. This is the basic procedure of formation of vinegar. These days, fermentation of alcohol is done by introducing certain bacteria to the liquid. Chinese and Japanese vinegars are milder and sweeter (less acidic) than the vinegars used in western countries. The sweet rice wine is made by fermenting steamed glutinous rice. This wine has a low alcohol content. Sake and mirin are popular rice wines of Japan. Rice wine vinegar is sometimes referred to as rice vinegar. So both are same. These vinegars are made from fermented rice or rice wine. They are produced mainly in China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. If you want to substitute this vinegar in a recipe, do not use vinegar produced in Western countries.

Rice Vinegar Calories

You might be surprised to know that you don't add up calories when you eat Nakano natural rice vinegar. However, there are 25 calories in 1 tablespoon of Marukan rice vinegar as it contains sugar. The Chinese rice wine vinegar from Kame also comes with zero calories. Unseasoned rice vinegar from Roland has 5 calories per 1 tbsp (15 g) serving. Thus, this vinegar does not cause any significant increase in your daily calorie intake.

Seasoned Vinegars

Rice vinegars are either seasoned or unseasoned. They are usually seasoned with a sweetener. Garlic, red pepper flakes, basil, and oregano are used to enhance the flavor of the vinegar. Seasoning is also made by adding sake, salt and sugar. For example, awasezu. Seasoned rice vinegars are an invariable part of sushi dishes or salad dressing. These days, people prefer buying readily available seasoned vinegars at supermarket, rather than using homemade ones.

Types of Rice Vinegars

Black: Chinkiang vinegar is one of the best black rice vinegars. It is usually made from black glutinous rice which is also known as sweet rice. Sometimes, it is made from millet or sorghum. Black vinegar is quite popular in South China. It comes with a deep and smoky flavor. Hong Kong is also one of the leading producers of this vinegar.

White: It is a pale yellow or colorless liquid which is more like Western vinegars.

Red: It is darker than the white one but paler than the black one. Its characteristic red color comes from red yeast rice. The rice is cultivated with the mold Monascus purpureus as it carries some medicinal properties. More research is needed to prove the fact that this mold helps lower cholesterol levels.

Japanese: It can be pale yellow or colorless. It is made from rice or sake lees (residual yeast and other substances that accumulate at the bottom of the wine container after fermentation and aging). This vinegar contains about 5% acetic acid which is much lower than that found in vinegars used in Western world. So it is considered as mild and mellow. It is used in various dishes and also to marinate certain fish and meat.

Korean: It is made from glutinous rice or brown rice. The typical Korean ingredient 'nuruk' triggers fermentation.

Vietnamese: There exist several varieties of Vietnamese rice vinegars. It can be spicy sour, strong sour or light sour.

All these types of vinegars are easily available not only in the Eastern world but also in the Western world. You can now enjoy your favorite Chinese or Japanese dish at home, by referring to the recipe available on the Internet.