Japanese Rice Vinegar – Japanese rice vinegar is very mild and ranges from colourless to pale yellow. It is made from either rice or sake lees. Sake lees is fine sediment left over after the sake making process.
Distilled White Vinegar – Vinegars that have gone through the distilling process to produce a colorless solution. Commonly used in pickling and preservation. Also a suitable vinegar for cleaning.
Apple Cider Vinegar – Just as the name suggests, this vinegar is made from apple cider. It mainly has a deep coral colour. Apple cider vinegar is favoured for its health benefits, but it is rather harsh because of the acidity. It needs to be diluted or mixed with other ingredients to balance it out. Great for barbecue sauces.
Red Wine Vinegar – Red wine vinegar is literally vinegar made from red wine. The quality of this vinegar can vary through the quality of the main ingredients used. Cheaper and more affordable red wine vinegars tend to have quite a sharp flavour. This vinegar goes well with salads and certain Latin dishes.
White Wine Vinegar – White wine vinegars can vary in colour from pale yellow to a rich gold. It tastes moderately tangy. Cooks use this to make Hollandaise and Béarnaise sauces. I like to use this to make my salsas.
Black Vinegar – Black Vinegar is usually made from black glutinous rice, although millet or sorghum may be used instead. It is rich dark in colour, and has a deep, almost smoky flavour. A common ingredient when cooking confinement dishes or as dipping sauces for dim sum.
Balsamic Vinegar – Balsamic vinegar is an aged type of vinegar made from the concentrated juice of grapes. It is very dark in colour and has a rich, sweet but tart flavour. Balsamic vinegars that are aged for a very long time are prized as a gourmet ingredient, almost to the same level as truffles. The generic balsamic vinegars that is more affordable to the public is typically made with concentrated grape juice mixed with a strong vinegar and added caramel or sugar.
