Rice Vinegar

Rice vinegar is a light-flavoured vinegar used extensively in Japanese and South-east Asian cooking. Made from rice wine, its sweet, delicate flavour is ideal for sushi (vinegared rice) dishes. It has a low acidity that makes it a good choice for vinaigrettes on greens, where it provides a mildly sweet flavoured dressing. It is also good for dipping sauces and dressings.

This type of vinegar is sold in a number of varieties; there is a sweet rice vinegar that is very dark, thick and aromatic and an unsweetened version that provides a very mild acidic flavour to foods. The vinegar also comes in a number of colours:

• white - mild flavoured and good for sweet and sour dishes
• clear pale red - slightly tart flavoured
• black or dark amber - rich and smoky with a complex flavour