10 Varieties and Values Of Vinegar

Vinegar play a vital role in cooking, making it ever-present in every kitchen. The acid present in vinegar can give a memorable bite to the food.

The acidity turns to sourness that makes you mouthwatering when you remember the food. Adding a punch of sourness into the food makes it more appetizing to eat.

Vinegar is commonly used in cooking to balance the fattiness and sweetness making the dish much appealing. There are various types of vinegar available and different ways to use it.

• White vinegar

This is the type of vinegar that is commonly found in every kitchen and perhaps the cheapest among others. It offers very sharp taste when added into a dish.

Aside from cooking, white vinegar is also used as a cleaning product. In fact, companies providing cleaning services have been using white vinegar instead of harsh chemicals.

• Red wine vinegar

The red wine vinegar has similar taste with its white wine counterpart. It has a refreshing crispiness and mild tangy taste. This type of vinegar is used for salad dressings, marinades, and finishing dishes.

• White wine vinegar

If there’s one acid that should be present in your kitchen aside from white vinegar, it should be white wine vinegar. It has a delicate, yet milder flavor than white vinegar. It is perfect to add this type of vinegar if you want to add a little brightness in a dish.

Adding a small amount of white wine vinegar will freshen up the dish.  It also works great for marinade or quick dressing. It is quiet zingy without divulging its own flavor.

• Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is very versatile as it is not only used for cooking. Using this type of vinegar in cooking adds a desirable acidity with a fruity note. Some brands of apple cider vinegar have buttery taste while others slightly toasty.

It’s a perfect choice for salad dressings because of its mild flavor. It also works well for marinating chicken or fish.

• Champagne vinegar

As the name implies, the champagne vinegar is made from fermented Champagne. It is the ideal acid that should be added into vinaigrette and salad dressings because of its delicate flavor. It gives a wonderful finishing touch to a creamy, rich soup.

• Balsamic vinegar

This type of vinegar is the priciest because of the process it is made. It is made from grape juice that has been fermented and aged for long time in wooden barrels. The longer the balsamic vinegar is aged, the thicker and sweeter it becomes, but more expensive too.

There are two variants of balsamic vinegar, the red and white balsamic vinegar. High quality balsamic vinegar has rich flavor similar to molasses, prunes, and figs. The texture is glossy and thick.

You would not use the expensive balsamic vinegar for ordinary cooking, but rather use it to drizzle over greens and cheese as an appetizer. It also gives a perfect finishing touch to different recipes. It is also used when making panna cotta or drizzling it over Parmesan or ripe strawberries.

• Sherry vinegar

The Sherry vinegar is also fermented in barrels for a minimum of six months. Among other types of vinegar, this one has the most complex flavor of being sweet, rich, and nutty, but retains its delicate acidity. The Sherry vinegar is commonly used as salad dressing or finishing off a meaty dish.

• Chinese black vinegar

This type of vinegar is made from rice and malt and aged. It offers mild acidity and a touch of sweet spice notes similar to cinnamon and nutmeg. The Chinese black vinegar is used in Chinese cuisine when making dressings and sauces.

• Malt vinegar

This type of vinegar is perfect as chips or fish dip. The main ingredient of the malt vinegar is barley and it is originally made into beer. Through fermentation and aging it turned into a vinegar. The acidity of malt vinegar is distinctive with a slight taste of a toast.

• Rice vinegar

This is originally made from rice wine and it is the most favored in Asian cookery. As compared to other types of vinegar, the rice vinegar is less acidic and has a sweeter flavor. It complements the fattiness that’s why it is commonly used for Asian salads and stir-fries.

The secret to preserve the flavor of the vinegar after opening it is to keep it tightly closed and store it in a cool dark place. If you want to use expensive vinegars, you can buy small quantities and make sure to use them up within a year.