When you go shopping for groceries, vinegar is surely there on your list of items. It is an essential tool in your kitchen, and you will find shares and shares of different varieties of vinegar in your local supermarkets. Vinegar is used as an ingredient to various dishes, salads, and marinades, but its uses also include cleaning household things like pots, pans, mirrors, and so on.
The name vinegar comes from the French phrase ‘vin aigre,’ which means sour wine. Vinegar is acidic in nature, so it can be left definitely on your kitchen shelf without it turning bad. It needs to be stored in a cool, dry, dark place with a closed lid.
Following, we mention some varieties of vinegar and their characteristics.
Different Types of Vinegar
White Vinegar
White vinegar is one of the most commonly used kinds of vinegar and has a sharp taste. It is a clear liquid and is an agent that is added to pickles and bbq sauces. It is also used in ketchup and salad dressings.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Yeast and bacteria are added to crushed and strained apple liquid with sugar for fermentation. This makes it alcoholic. Once again, this alcoholic mixture is fermented further to convert it into vinegar.
There are huge benefits of drinking apple cider vinegar. It reduces the fat surrounding your belly. It also lowers cholesterol levels, improves blood sugar and insulin levels.
Apple Cider Vinegar goes well with barbecue sauces, coleslaw, and other fruity recipes.
Balsamic Vinegar
This vinegar can be poured over sweet as well as savory recipes. It has a zesty, sweet flavor.
Unlike almost all other vinegar, Balsamic vinegar is made from grapes and is aged in oak barrels. The older the balsamic vinegar is, the more expensive it will be – just like wine!
Raisin Vinegar
Mostly popular in Middle Eastern countries, the Raisin vinegar is brown and has a mild taste. It is used in traditional sauces and Turkish dishes.
Apricot Vinegar
Dried Apricots are used to make this fruit vinegar. It gives a complex yet sweet taste to salads and other dishes.
Apricot vinegar is simple to make and can be stored easily in your kitchen.
Red Wine Vinegar
Another popular vinegar is made from red wine and has a strong acidic flavor with a slight sweetness to it. It can be coupled with Freek dressings and bold sauces.
Rice Vinegar
Compared to other kinds of vinegar, rice vinegar is not very acidic, having only about 4% of the acidity. It is also sweeter and is an ideal accompaniment to foods like fish and meat marinades. It can also be used with dipping sauces and stir fry dishes from Asian countries.
The black and red variety of rice vinegar is less common in the United States but is very popular in Chinese households as it is great for soups and noodles.
Malt Vinegar
Malt vinegar is one of Britain’s favorite dark brown vinegar and is considered a basic vinegar for cooking. Malt vinegar is usually paired with fish and chips and is used in pickles too!
Cane Vinegar
The Philippines is home to Cane vinegar. It is light yellow in color, tastes somewhat like rice vinegar, and is made from sugarcanes.
Cane vinegar, though it is made from sugarcane, is not considered to be sweet at all.
Coconut Vinegar
Thailand and India are the two countries where coconut vinegar is widely used. It has a sharply acidic flavor.
The sap of the coconut palm tree is used in making this white coconut vinegar.
Jamun Vinegar
Jamun vinegar is made from the black plum, also known around the world as Jamun. Jamun cider vinegar is a great option to use in place of normal vinegar because it is derived from fruit juice or pulp.
This vinegar is a lesser-known vinegar that has the ability to treat a wide range of health problems.
Jamun vinegar is an effective cure for diarrhea, lowers blood sugar levels, and promotes weight reduction. It has also been used to cure bladder and kidney infections.
Chilli Vinegar
Chilli vinegar is best for people who love Chinese food! It enhances the flavor of all your recipes. Chilli vinegar can be added to soups, noodles, stir-fried vegetables, and also fried rice.
Champagne Vinegar
Do you know what this vinegar is made from? Well, champagne, of course!
It does not have common use in cooking but is used as a condiment or for dressings. It is light and mellow in flavor and does not change the actual original taste of a dish. It is one of the most expensive varieties of vinegar.
Sherry Vinegar
It is made from Spanish wine and needs to be kept in oak barrels for a minimum of six months before it is ready to be bottled.
The flavor of sherry vinegar is pronounced and is used in a variety of vinaigrettes and pan sauces.
Black Vinegar
This vinegar is made from wheat, millet, rice, or sorghum, or they can all be a mixture of them. Black vinegar is best used for marinating meats and as a dumplings’ dip in the United States of America.
The Chinese Black vinegar or Chinkiang vinegar is used in many South Chinese dishes and has a kind of woody and smoked taste.
Final Thoughts
History has it that the very first use of vinegar was by the Babylonians in ancient times around 300 B.C. They used to make vinegar from dates and figs for medicinal purposes and cooking.
Today, thanks to large-scale, considerably fast, and cheap production, vinegar and all its varieties are easily available in global markets.
Apart from its culinary uses, it is an effective cleaning agent of glass and stainless steel. Additionally, it can be used to polish brass, bronze, copper, and silver. And to top it all off, you can make use of it as a drain cleaner!