Black vinegar

The black vinegar of Zhenjiang in Jiangsu, brewed from glutinous rice: rounded, malty-sweet, faintly smoky, without the sharpness of white vinegar. Hong Kong kitchens dip dumplings in it, dress cucumber and jellyfish with it, and put a teaspoon into the eggplant claypot sauce with a few drops at the end. The household bottle is Hengshun, for example. It is not the sweet vinegar of the pork trotter and ginger pot.

Cautions: read first

• Some brands contain wheat (bran), a mandatory-declaration allergen in Australia; read the label.

Origin

Zhenjiang, Jiangsu. Every Asian grocer carries Chinkiang vinegar, and the Asian aisle of supermarkets in Chinese suburbs sometimes does.

Availability in Australia

Easy to find

Pairs well with