Vinegar is an interesting and versatile condiment to use in cooking.

It can be used in sweet, savoury, spicy, nearly any type of dish you can imagine.

Many chefs declare that their secret ingredient for creating fantastic dishes is to include an acid. This can be in the form of vinegars or citrus like lemon or lime.

But, because there are so many different types of vinegar, it can get awfully confusing.

That’s why we have created a handy table of the most popular vinegars and their characteristics.

Vinegar	Characteristics
Apple cider	Amber coloured, with a tart and mildly fruity flavour
Balsamic	Brownish black, mildly acidic with a sweet and fruity flavour
Banyuls	Amber-red coloured with a mildly acidic and sweet flavour with hints of walnuts, vanilla and ginger
Cane	Light-coloured and mildly sweet
Champagne	Light bodied with a mild flavour
Chinese black (checkiang)	A dark, almost black, vinegar
Coconut (Suka ng niyog)	A strong vinegar
Distilled white	A white or clear vinegar with a very harsh taste
Malt	Amber coloured with a mild flavour
Raspberry	White wine vinegar infused with raspberries
Red rice (Chinese red vinegar)	Reddish, salty-tasting sweet vinegar
Red wine	Reddish vinegar with a pronounced flavour and mild sweetness
Rice	A clear vinegar with a mild sweetness and acidity
Sherry (Jerez vinegar)	Amber coloured with a mildly sweet and acidic fruit flavour
Tarragon	White wine vinegar infused with fresh tarragon
Umeboshi (Plum vinegar)	Salty, somewhat tart and fruity flavour
White wine	Light-bodied and mildly flavoured

 

Do you like to use vinegar in your everyday cooking? Let us know your favourite ways to use vinegar.