{"id":1276,"date":"2017-02-22T22:36:54","date_gmt":"2017-02-22T22:36:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redhousespice.com\/?p=1276"},"modified":"2026-06-10T10:28:38","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T10:28:38","slug":"chinese-rice-vinegar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redhousespice.com\/chinese-rice-vinegar\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Rice Vinegar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Learn all about Chinese black rice vinegar, including its flavor, uses, buying tips and why Chinkiang vinegar is the variety used in most of my recipes.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My mum, who is from Xi’an in northwestern China, loves vinegar so much that she adds it to almost everything. In our family kitchen, it’s used just as often as soy sauce<\/a>, sometimes even more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s why it has always surprised me that Chinese vinegar receives far less attention outside China. While soy sauce can be found in almost every supermarket, Chinese vinegar has only recently become more widely available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most essential seasonings in Chinese cooking<\/a>, Chinese vinegar comes in many forms. Produced in different regions across China, it ranges in color from clear and pale yellow to reddish-brown and deep black. Rice is the most common base ingredient, but other grains such as sorghum, barley, wheat, and peas are also used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chinese rice vinegar is generally divided into three main types: black, white, and red. Of these, black rice vinegar is by far the most widely used<\/strong> in everyday Chinese cooking. If you’d like to bring more authentic Chinese flavors to your kitchen, this is the bottle I’d recommend starting with.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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What is Black Rice Vinegar<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Known in Chinese as 黑醋 (hēi cù<\/em>), 香醋 (xiāng cù<\/em>), or 陈醋 (chén cù<\/em>), black rice vinegar is a broad category rather than a single product. It’s typically made from glutinous rice along with other grains such as wheat and bran. As a result, most traditional black rice vinegars are not gluten-free.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Different regions of China produce their own styles, including Chinkiang (Zhenjiang) vinegar, Shanxi mature vinegar, and Baoning vinegar. Although each has its own character, they generally share several characteristics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n