What is rice vinegar and where does it come from?
Rice vinegar is a type of vinegar made from rice wine and is generally used as a condiment for food, to flavor dishes, and as an ingredient in sauces. It has a sweeter taste than traditional vinegars.
It has been used for a long time in Asian countries. But recently, it has also become popular in Western countries.
Here, it is often used to make dressings and marinades for meat dishes, but most importantly, you have surely already tasted it in sushi rice as it is part of its seasoning.
By the way, here’s my sushi rice recipe. I also use it in my famous beef udon recipe.
The origin of rice vinegar
The first trace of its use dates back to the 6th century in China, when people would boil rice and add some to the liquid.
It then became very popular in Japan during the Muromachi period (1336-1573). A type of rice vinegar known as “mirin” became popular among the aristocracy and Buddhist monks for use with sushi and sashimi: it has a sweeter flavor than other types of rice vinegars. If you want to know more about sushi, I’ve written a complete article on its origins.
How is it made?
Ultimately, the process for making rice vinegar is not very complicated. Wikihow even provides the complete recipe.
Roughly speaking, the main starting ingredients are Shaoxing rice wine, white rice, and water. With these and a few weeks of patience, you can make your own homemade vinegar! Very handy if you live far from Asian grocery stores.
Nutritional advantages and benefits of rice vinegar
The benefits of consuming it are countless. It can be used as an alternative to other vinegars, especially if you’re looking for a healthier option or if you want to reduce your sugar intake.
Additionally, it can be used as a natural hair rinse, to clean carpets or countertops, you can also use it as a mouthwash or even add it directly to your bath water (although I admit I haven’t really found very formal explanations for this last point)
Here are some nutritional benefits of rice vinegar:
Rice vinegar is an excellent source of potassium, which can relieve joint pain.
It contains many minerals such as selenium, zinc, copper, and manganese.
It can help balance blood sugar by slowing down the rate at which sugar enters the bloodstream.
How to use it in your cooking and recipes?
It is mainly used to enhance the taste of dishes. It can be used with sautéed vegetables, meat dishes, sauces, and even dressings. However, care must be taken with the type of vinegar used. There are two main types:
White rice vinegar
White rice vinegar has a much milder taste than other vinegars. It can be used in a variety of recipes for both sweet and savory dishes.
Brown rice vinegar
Brown rice vinegar has a sweet and sour taste. It is made from fermented brown rice. It has a sweet and sour flavor. Brown rice vinegar can be used in various ways, for example in salad dressings or marinades.
I recommend this rice vinegar which has a general use, it will be good for all recipes, whether it’s sushi rice or salad dressings.
Black rice vinegar
The black rice vinegar has a completely black color and a rather tangy and sweet taste. It is used in Chinese cuisine for dim sum dipping sauces
What can you substitute for rice vinegar?
If it’s for making sushi rice, you can replace rice vinegar with distilled white vinegar. But of course, rice vinegar remains ideal. You can buy it here on Amazon.
There are many other substitutes for rice vinegar.
Some of the most common substitutes are distilled white vinegar as mentioned earlier, malt vinegar, and red wine vinegar. Generally, you’ll need to use half or ¾ of the quantity as regular vinegars tend to be stronger.
