Physical Description
It's lightly flavored and light colored vinegar with sugar and salt and sold commercially in glass or clear plastic bottles.
Colors: Light brown
Tasting Notes
Flavors: Salty, Sweet
Mouthfeel: Smooth, Mild
Food complements: Asian dishes, Sesame oil
Wine complements: Sake or dry white wine
Beverage complements: Asian beer
Substitutes: Rice vinegar and sugar
Selecting and Buying
Seasonality: january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december
Choosing: It is best made fresh at home by adding sake or sugar and salt to rice wine vinegar. When buying in a store, make sure the bottle is not past or near its expiration date. Look for a clear liquid, preferably in a glass bottle.
Buying: Available in many grocery food stores, especially upscale ones. Many health food and gourmet stores will carry it. Readily available in Asian food markets and on line.
Procuring: Made from vinegar and rice, which is traditionally grown in paddies in Asian countries.
Preparation and Use
The sweet notes of rice vinegar are often best paired with sesame oil. If you use toasted sesame oil, which can be quite smoky in flavor, you may want to use one of the darker rice vinegar variants, so the oil taste won’t completely overwhelm the vinegar. Consider black or red rice vinegar for dressing and white rice vinegar, or seasoned rice vinegar in other dishes.
Cleaning: No cleaning required.
Conserving and Storing
Store in a cool, dry, dark kitchen cabinet or pantry. Best if stored in a glass jar or bottle with a tight lid. It has a long shelf life if properly stored.
Social/Political
Rice vinegar is made in several Asian countries, and differences exist in final taste and product. Japanese rice vinegar is in general much milder than Chinese varieties, and is usually most likely to be colorless. Similar simple white rice vinegar exists in China, but is still slightly sharper than Japanese varieties.
History: Used in traditional Chinese and Japanese dishes for centuries. Increasingly popular in the US due to its use in sushi.
