Chinkiang vinegar
Used in 3 recipes on RecipeWiki.
Chinkiang vinegar, also called Zhenjiang black vinegar after the city in Jiangsu province that makes it, is a dark, aged vinegar brewed from glutinous rice, with a malty, faintly sweet flavour that is softer than its colour suggests. It is less sharp than wine or cider vinegar, so it adds depth as well as sourness. In Hot and Sour Soup it supplies the sour half of the name, usually stirred in near the end so its aroma survives; in Kung Pao Chicken it balances sugar and soy in the glossy sauce. Look for it in Chinese grocers. Its flavour is distinct, so balsamic is not a true substitute. An opened bottle keeps for months in the cupboard.
Most often cooked with
Soy sauce
Spring onion
Stock
Sugar
Cornflour
Garlic
Ginger
PeanutRecipes with chinkiang vinegar
Dan Dan Noodles
Noodles over a pool of chilli oil, sesame paste and vinegar, topped with crisp fried pork and preserved vegetable.
30 minutes
Chinese
Pork
Hot and Sour Soup
A brothy Sichuan-style soup thickened with a cornflour slurry and finished with vinegar and beaten egg off the heat, so both stay sharp.
Soups
Kung Pao Chicken
Diced chicken stir-fried fast with dried chillies and peanuts in a sauce that is sour, sweet and salty in that order.
Chicken