Zhenjiang Vinegar

Ingredients

The vinegar

• 1 bottleZhenjiang black vinegar, zhenjiang xiangcu

For a dumpling dip

• 3 tbspZhenjiang vinegar
• 1 tbsplight soy sauce
• 1 tspsesame oil
• fine shreds of fresh ginger
• chilli oil, optional

To use in

• dumpling dips
• hot and sour soup
• braises, particularly pork
• cold dishes and salads

Note

• check the label, since cheaper products add caramel colour

Directions

1. Zhenjiang vinegar has been made in Zhenjiang in Jiangsu since the Qing dynasty, and its solid-state fermentation and sun-ageing method holds Chinese protected geographical indication status.
2. It is the dark aromatic black vinegar that is the dip of choice for dumplings across China, and it is one of the country’s four great vinegars.
3. Now how it is made, which explains why it tastes as it does.
4. It is made from glutinous rice by solid-state fermentation, which means the grain is fermented as a moist solid mass rather than as a liquid.
5. Wheat bran is mixed in and the whole thing ferments in open vessels, with the mass turned by hand daily for weeks.
6. That solid-state method develops far more complex aromatic compounds than a liquid fermentation, which is where the maltiness and depth come from.
7. Then it is aged in earthenware jars in the sun.
8. The jars stand outside, and evaporation concentrates the vinegar while long slow oxidation darkens it and rounds the flavour.
9. Aged versions are labelled by year and three-year and six-year vinegars are sold, becoming progressively darker, thicker and less sharp.
10. Now buying it, and there is a real quality range.
11. Check the label for the ingredients.
12. Good Zhenjiang vinegar contains rice, wheat bran, water, salt and sugar and nothing else. Cheaper products add caramel colour to fake the darkness, and they taste thin and one-dimensionally sour.
13. Look for a protected designation and a stated ageing period.
14. The best known producer is Hengshun, whose bottles are widely exported.
15. Now the flavour, which is worth describing accurately.
16. It is malty, faintly sweet, smoky and complex, with a mellow sourness rather than a sharp one.
17. It is closer to a light balsamic than to a white wine vinegar in character, though it is not sweet in the same way.
18. It is far less acidic than European vinegars, generally around four to five per cent, which is why it can be used in quantity.
19. That lower acidity is important: substituting a sharp Western vinegar in the same quantity gives a harsh result.
20. Now the classic use, which is the dumpling dip.
21. Combine the vinegar with a little soy sauce, sesame oil and fine shreds of fresh ginger.
22. The ginger is not a garnish. Its warmth against the mellow sourness is the whole balance of the dip, and it is cut into hair-fine threads for a reason.
23. Some people use vinegar alone, which is entirely normal in Zhenjiang itself.
24. For xiaolongbao, the soup dumplings, ginger and vinegar is the fixed accompaniment.
25. Now the other uses it belongs in.
26. It is essential in hot and sour soup, where it provides the sour.
27. It goes into red-braised dishes, particularly pork, where a splash at the end lifts the whole pot.
28. It is used in cold dressed dishes and salads, with sesame oil and garlic.
29. It is the base of sweet and sour sauces in the older Chinese style, before ketchup arrived.
30. Now a point about when to add it.
31. In a braise or a stir-fry, add it at the end rather than the beginning.
32. Its aromatic compounds are volatile and long cooking drives them off, leaving only sourness. A splash in the last minute keeps the fragrance.
33. Some dishes call for it twice, a little early for depth and a little at the end for aroma.
34. Now storage, which is straightforward.
35. Keep it sealed in a cool dark place, where it lasts indefinitely.
36. It does not spoil, being acidic, though the aroma fades over years once opened.
37. Now the related vinegars, since Chinese black vinegars are not interchangeable.
38. Shanxi mature vinegar is made from sorghum and is sharper and smokier.
39. Baoning vinegar from Sichuan is made with medicinal herbs.
40. Yongchun vinegar from Fujian is made from red yeast rice.
41. Together with Zhenjiang these are the four famous vinegars of China, and each belongs to different dishes.

Technique

• Solid-state fermentation is what gives it its complexity.
• Cheaper products use caramel colour, so the ingredients list matters.
• It is far less acidic than European vinegars.

Substitutions

• Shanxi mature vinegar, which is sharper.
• A mild balsamic thinned with rice vinegar, as a rough approximation.

Variations

• Aged six years, which is darker and mellower.
• As a dumpling dip with ginger.
• In hot and sour soup.

History

Made in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu since the Qing dynasty; its solid-state fermentation and sun-ageing method holds Chinese protected geographical indication status.

Frequently asked questions

What is Zhenjiang Vinegar?

Zhenjiang Vinegar is a sauce & condiment from China: dark aromatic black vinegar from glutinous rice, the dip of choice for dumplings. Made in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu since the Qing dynasty; its solid-state fermentation and sun-ageing method holds Chinese protected geographical indication status.

How long does Zhenjiang Vinegar take to make?

Zhenjiang Vinegar takes 5 min of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes notes on a bought vinegar. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Zhenjiang Vinegar?

Yes, within limits. Shanxi mature vinegar, which is sharper. A mild balsamic thinned with rice vinegar, as a rough approximation.

What is the most important thing to get right in Zhenjiang Vinegar?

It is made from glutinous rice by solid-state fermentation, which means the grain is fermented as a moist solid mass rather than as a liquid.