Acid test: Your essential guide to vinegars (and does your pantry really need so many?)

Vinegars all share one thing in common: acidity. That can make it all too easy to lump them together and ignore the differences that set each type apart.

“All vinegars begin as a grain, fruit or vegetable,” cookbook author Martha Holmberg wrote for The Washington Post several years ago. “They get fermented to become an alcoholic liquid. The alcohol in that liquid gets fermented into acetic acid. The result is a liquid with serious tang and some notes of its original ingredient - hence the slight apple-y flavour of apple cider vinegar and the delicate grape notes of white wine vinegar.”

While you may decide you don’t need a bottle of every variety listed below (and there are many more varieties, too), I’d encourage you to at least have a few on hand so that you can make the most of their distinct characteristics. Then mix and match or substitute accordingly. Think about the types of dishes and cuisines you typically favour and go from there.

White/distilled vinegar

This is probably the vinegar that most of us think of first, and yet it’s usually not our go-to for cooking thanks to its one-note, mouth-puckering flavour. Made from grain alcohol, “it has very little character or subtlety and is generally sold by the gallon,” Mouncey Ferguson wrote in The Washington Post in 1998. “When plain, it should be used only in a pinch. Save it for pickling, or for scouring the tub.”

Cider vinegar

I consider cider vinegar a good, all-purpose vinegar. It’s inexpensive, versatile and not quite as aggressive as white vinegar because of its subtle, but not overpowering, fruitiness. It works just as well uncooked, such as in vinaigrettes or pickles, as it does cooked. Try it in barbecue sauces or glazes. Use it to create a pan sauce - the vinegar will help lift off the flavourful browned bits - or add brightness to a soup or stew at the end of cooking. Cider vinegar also plays into refreshing zero-proof sippers, switchels and shrubs.

White wine vinegar

Its “bright, light flavour makes it a fine dressing. The flavour of the vinegar comes through first, and the sour grassiness of white wine lingers after,” Ferguson wrote. Consider using white wine vinegar in more delicate dishes, advised Holmberg, noting that champagne vinegar is similar. Try it to dress raw or roasted vegetables. No surprise: It is a suitable pickle brine.

Red wine vinegar

“It’s a little warmer on the tongue, slightly more complex than its white sibling, but still simple,” Ferguson said. “Not a big personality in the bowl, but without white wine vinegar’s sourness.” Holmberg prefers it for robust uses – it’s great in braises and stews and paired with beef - although it also makes a fine salad dressing. Red wine vinegar works in pickling, too, especially for quick-pickling red onions.

Sherry vinegar

Sherry vinegar, derived from the Spanish fortified white wine, is my go-to for a little fancy flair. Ageing, anywhere from six months to decades, adds extra depth. It “has an appealingly round, woodsy flavour with hints of caramel and vanilla, yet no sweetness whatsoever. If red wine vinegar is a red vinyl booth in a pizza joint, sherry vinegar is a garnet-coloured suede banquette in a restaurant where you hope someone else will pick up the tab. It is understated and therefore versatile,” Holmberg said. It’s a natural in Spanish cuisine, such as gazpacho. Preserve the lovely flavour by using it raw or toward the end of cooking. I often add a splash to brighten wilted greens or vegetable soups instead of lemon juice.

Balsamic vinegar

Rather than wine, balsamic vinegar starts with just grapes, the juice of which is “boiled down to a sweet, fruity syrup, then aged in various wooden barrels,” Ferguson wrote. The authentic stuff is made in and around Modena, Italy, and is good enough to simply drizzle over berries or ice cream. Holmberg issued a word of caution about the thin, sweet liquid that makes up many grocery store balsamics: “Balsamic overuse is rampant ... and is somewhat of a minor moral outrage, to me, anyway.” Your call, though! It can easily overwhelm more delicate greens, but that boldness does make it work well with beef, chicken and fish.

Rice/rice wine vinegar

Surprise! These are names for the same product made from fermented rice. At 4 per cent acidity, compared with 6 to 7 per cent for other culinary vinegars, rice is comparatively mild, according to Holmberg. It has a subtle but not overpowering sweetness, unless you buy “seasoned” rice vinegar, which has added sugar and salt. For those turned off by sharper vinegars, rice can be a great all-purpose option for dressings and quick pickles. I also like to use it in a simple dipping sauce for dumplings or Korean-style pancakes. It’s a staple in sushi rice.

Chinkiang (Chinese black) vinegar

If you like hot-and-sour soup, you like Chinkiang vinegar, sometimes referred to as Chinese black vinegar. It’s made from fermented black sticky rice or regular glutinous rice and may also incorporate sorghum or wheat, the Woks of Life blog from the Leung family says. “It is quite literally black in color and has a full-bodied, malty, complex taste. It is mildly acidic, less so than a regular distilled white vinegar, with a faintly sweet flavour.” The Leungs offer a wide range of possibilities on how to use it. Try it as a dipping condiment for dumplings or in dressings for cold appetisers or salads. It can add “acidity and sweetness to braised dishes” and stir-fries.

The Washington Post