Vinegar is a major staple ingredient that you must have at home to enhance the flavor of your food. It is made from fermented alcohol usually from grapes or grains and tends to have a very low PH level, which will wake up your taste buds at just a small drop. There are many uses for vinegar in the kitchen as there are varieties of vinegar. Choosing the right vinegar depends on the cooking method, the food that you are cooking and the amount of brightness that you want to add to your meal.
In this OneHowTo article we name the best vinegars for cooking.
Red Wine Vinegar
Characterized by its dark red color, red wine vinegar is one of the most common cooking vinegars. It is made from the fermentation of red grapes generally in wood barrels that are responsible for those soft nuances of fruit and earth in its flavor.
This vinegar is ideal for hearty dishes made with beef or pork, which are let to cook at a lower temperature. Additionally, it is a fantastic ingredient for meat marinades along with some aromatic herbs helping to tenderize tough meat cuts before cooking.
Malt Vinegar
Malt vinegar is made from the fermentation of barley, which gives it a malty, brown and nutty flavor. It is best well know for pairing fittingly with fish and lighter cuts of meats.
Since malt vinegar is essentially made from germinated barley used to make ale, it is slowly becoming a must ingredient in the making of the best fish and chips dish. Many updated fish and chips recipes coat the fish in a beer batter that has some added malt vinegar. The vinegar works well with the oiliness of the fried fish and brings a toasty and sweet flavor to an otherwise simple dish.
Rice Vinegar
Asian cuisine could well be known for their mastery of the rice ingredient. Many dishes will usually be served with a side of rice, just as many Western cuisines do the same with bread or potato fries. It isn’t a surprise given the importance of rice in Asian culture that rice vinegar has become a must ingredient for any Asian recipe.
Rice vinegar is sweet and very delicate fermented rice that originated in China more than 3,000 years ago. While there are many types of rice vinegar perhaps the most well known is white rice vinegar that is less acidic and sweeter than regular vinegar, making it the perfect choice for sweet and sour dishes.
Sherry Vinegar
Sherry vinegar is an exquisite by product of the famous Sherry wine. Traditionally from the south of Spain, Sherry vinegar must be aged for a period of at least 6 months and be fermented by bacteria in oak barrels. This strict process eventually brings bright acidity and unique flavors to this truly unique vinegar.
Chefs often use this vinegar to make reductions. Immediately after cooking meat and vegetables in a hot pan, vinegar can be used to deglaze the pan and then slowly reduce the juices to create a thick sauce or glaze.
Let us know what is your favorite cooking vinegar!
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