Rice vinegar

Rice vinegar is made by fermenting rice into alcohol and then into vinegar. The everyday Japanese kind is pale and clear, with a soft, mild acidity and a faint sweetness. It is less sharp than most Western vinegars, so you can use more of it without the food tasting harsh.

How to use it

• Sushi rice. For 300 g (1½ cups) of uncooked rice, warm 60 ml (¼ cup) rice vinegar with 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon salt until they dissolve. Fold it into the hot cooked rice with a cutting motion and fan it as it cools.
• Quick pickles. Mix equal parts rice vinegar and water with a little sugar and salt, and pour over sliced cucumber, radish or carrot. They are ready in 30 minutes. See pickle.
• Dressings. Whisk with soy sauce, sesame oil and a little honey for salads and cold noodles.
• Dipping sauces. Mix with soy sauce and chili oil for dumplings.
• Balance. Add a splash to a stir-fry, soup or sauce at the end to brighten it.

Substitutes

• Apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar. They are sharper, so use about three quarters of the amount, or dilute with a little water, and add a pinch of sugar.
• Lemon or lime juice, in dressings and dips.
• Avoid plain distilled white vinegar if you can. It is harsh and lacks the gentle flavor.

How to store it

Keep it closed in a cool cupboard. Like all vinegar, it keeps for a long time. It may lose a little aroma after a year.

In recipes

There are two kinds of Japanese rice vinegar on the shelf. Plain rice vinegar has nothing added. Seasoned rice vinegar, often sold as sushi vinegar, already has sugar and salt in it. If a recipe asks for plain and you only have seasoned, leave out some or all of the sugar and salt in the recipe.

Chinese recipes may call for black vinegar, a dark, malty vinegar made from rice and other grains. It is not the same thing. Chinese red rice vinegar is also different. "Rice wine vinegar" is just another name for rice vinegar and is not the same as mirin or rice wine.