Vinegar Variety

     So just how many different containers of vinegar do you have in your pantry?  If you're like me, there are quite a few, all necessary for a variety of uses.  Here is a listing of several of the more popular kinds:

Distilled white
     Made from distilled alcohol such as vodka.  It's strong and flavorless, ideal for pickling...or cleaning.

Red and white wine vinegar
     Made from wine and like wine, these can range from mild to more acidic and complex.  Versatile for a basic vinaigrette (Vinny Garette!) and for cooking.

Cider/apple cider vinegar
     Made from fermented apples, it's sharp and a little sweet.

Malt vinegar
     Made from malted barley (like beer) with a distinctive toasty flavor.  Required for fish and chips.



Champagne vinegar
     Light and delicate, it's made from, guess what?  Champagne!

Rice/rice wine vinegar
     An Asian pantry staple made from rice or rice wine.  The common Japanese variety is yellow and mellow.  Some come "seasoned" with added sugar and salt.  Chinese rice vinegar ranges from yellow to brown to red, depending on the rice used.  Chinese black vinegar, made from glutinous rice, is very dark with a deep, slightly sweet flavor.

Sherry vinegar
     Made from sherry within a designated region of Spain.  Aged in barrels for at least six months, by law; the better ones sit for years.  Rich, nutty and caramelly in flavor with a color to match.

Balsamic vinegar
     Made from grapes that are cooked before they're fermented.  Like sherry, traditional balsamic vinegar--dark and sweet with a syrupy flavor--has a protected designation, made in Italy's Modena and Reggio Emilia regions and barrel-aged for a minimum of 12 years.  Only those made this way can be labeled "aceto balsamico tradizionale."

     Those labeled  "aceto balsamico di Modena" blend in some wine vinegar; these range in quality and make up much of what you see on supermarket shelves.  The cheap imitators are simply wine vinegar mixed with caramel coloring and sweetener.  Check the label for "grape must," the juice from those cooked grapes.  If it's the first or only ingredient, that's a good thing.  And be wary of bargain-basement bottles.  A few ounces of traditional balsamic can set you back more than $100.  Good-quality Modena balsamic, while not that expensive, isn't all that cheap either.