Vinegar can add a dash of flavors to many recipes ranging in flavor from thin and sharp to sweet and syrupy. All vinegars are the byproduct of fermenting a liquid that contains starch or sugar – grains, fruits, honey, coconut, and syrups can be used. Most vinegars have few if any calories and only a trace of sodium.
White distilled vinegar has a strong, tangy, tart taste and should be used in small amounts.
Red wine vinegar has a full-bodied taste and is best when aged at least 6 months.
Cider vinegar is fermented from apple juice or cider and is sold filtered or unfiltered.
Champagne vinegar is light and sweet fermented from the yeast sediment remaining after champagne is processed.
Rice vinegar is made from the fermentation of sugars in rice. It is very light in color and has a mild, delicate flavor.
Japanese rice vinegar also has a mild flavor and is made from rice or sake.
Chinese red rice vinegar has a salty, tangy tartness due to the mold from red yeast rice.
Chinese black vinegar is based in rice and then it goes through extensive production and aging resulting in a taste which has been described as a cross between soy sauce and balsamic vinegar.
Balsamic vinegar is made from grape must and has a dark rich color and an intense taste.
Sherry vinegar’s flavor is a cross between red wine and balsamic vinegar. It is made from fermented sherry wine.
