The ultimate vinegar guide
Do you love adding vinegar to every dressing and marinade and pouring it over every salad? A bottle of vinegar belongs in every kitchen cupboard, and if you know the difference between the varieties, you’ll know exactly what to use each one for:
White vinegar
This is the cheapest, sharpest and best-known vinegar, and you probably have a bottle of it at home. This vinegar contains no additions and is simply very sour by nature. Use it to pickle vegetables or, for example, to clean your pan.
Red wine vinegar
This vinegar tastes just as you probably imagined: like red wine. Of all the wine vinegars, this one is somewhat fruitier. You can combine this vinegar in the same ways you would use red wine: in marinades for red meat, a splash in gazpacho or hearty lentil soup, or mixed into a vinaigrette, like in this generously filled pan bagnat. Are you making a creamy Italian salad filled with cheese? It’s perfect for that too!
White wine vinegar
Compared with red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar has a much lighter flavor. That’s why you shouldn’t pair this vinegar with red meat. Use it for a creamy sauce, in a marinade like in this pad thai with shrimp or for a somewhat lighter salad, like this one with grilled peach and burrata or this one with broad beans and olives. With these vinegars, think about the wine you would normally drink with the dish: white or red? That’s the vinegar you can best use in the dish.
Apple cider vinegar
This vinegar is a little sharper and has a fruity flavor. The name says it all, really: it tastes like apple cider. Use the vinegar in the same way as wine vinegars, but do consider how you want to combine the flavors. Delicious over a salad that already contains apple, in marinades like with this barbecued ham or in a pork stew.
Rice vinegar
This vinegar is made from rice wine and is widely used in Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine. It has a mild, delicate flavor, making it incredibly versatile. Use it for perfect sushi rice, marinades, over vegetables like these smashed cucumbers or salads.
Balsamic vinegar
The Italian classic, made from crushed grapes. It’s delicious in soups and sauces or as a marinade for meat and vegetables, like with this entrecôte with fennel. But making a salad dressing with it by combining it with olive oil is always a winner too.
And then there’s also black vinegar, but we’ve already covered that extensively here.
