Rice vinegar (also sold as rice wine vinegar; they are the same thing) is fermented from rice and is much gentler than white or cider vinegar: around 4–5% acidity with a soft, faintly sweet finish. Chinese white rice vinegar is clean and sharp and goes into sweet-and-sour sauces, pickles and dipping sauces; Japanese rice vinegar (komezu) is rounder and seasons sushi rice and sunomono salads; seasoned rice vinegar already contains sugar and salt; and Chinese black vinegar (Chinkiang, from glutinous rice) is dark, malty and mellow, the classic partner for dumplings and hot-and-sour soup.

How to buy

Check the label for "unseasoned" or "natural" if a recipe calls for plain rice vinegar; "seasoned" or "sushi vinegar" means sugar and salt have been added, which will throw off pickles and dressings. Marukan and Mizkan are reliable Japanese brands found in most US supermarkets; for Chinese black vinegar look for Gold Plum Chinkiang in the Asian aisle or an Asian market. Avoid bottles listing "distilled vinegar" first, which are diluted blends.

How to store

Vinegar is self-preserving: keep the bottle capped in the pantry and it stays good for two years or more, though the aroma fades after about a year once opened. Cloudiness or harmless sediment can appear and is not spoilage; only throw it out if it smells musty or the flavor has gone flat. There is no need to refrigerate.

Substitutes

  • Apple cider vinegar, 1:1 — closest in mildness, adds a slight fruity note.
  • White wine vinegar, 1:1 — a little sharper; add a pinch of sugar.
  • Distilled white vinegar diluted with water (3 parts vinegar to 1 part water) plus 1/2 tsp sugar per tablespoon — neutral but harsher.
  • For black vinegar: balsamic vinegar cut with a splash of rice vinegar, 1:1 — sweeter and thicker, but the same malty direction.

How to use

For sushi rice, stir 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon salt into 3 cups of cooked rice while it is still hot. Add rice vinegar at the end of a stir-fry or soup to brighten it without cooking off the aroma, and taste before adding more, since it is easy to make dumpling sauce or a cucumber salad too sharp. Do not swap seasoned for unseasoned without cutting back the sugar and salt elsewhere in the recipe.

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