Difference Between Rice Vinegar and Rice Wine Vinegar

Rice Vinegar vs Rice Wine Vinegar

In every cuisine of every country in the world, vinegar is an important condiment. It is used in most recipes, especially in salads and pickles.

Vinegar is an acidic substance that is produced through the process of fermentation. Its main ingredient is ethanol which turns into acetic or ethanoic acid. It also contains little concentrations of tartaric, citric, and other acids.

It was invented in China during the Xia Dynasty and was popularly used during the Old Testament times. It is made from several different sources such as barley, fruits, coconut, palm, cane, raisins, dates, beer, honey, and rice.

Fruit vinegars are made by fermenting their juices; malt vinegar is made by fermenting barley or other cereals; balsamic vinegar is made by alcohol and acetic fermentation of grape juice and heating it. Sugar vinegar is made by fermenting sugar syrup or molasses.

Rice vinegar is very common in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. It is made from fermented rice, and each country produces vinegar that has a distinct taste from others. They are all milder and sweeter than western vinegar.

Of the four, Chinese rice vinegar has a stronger flavor and can be made from white rice which produces a pale yellow and stronger-flavored vinegar, black rice which produces a dark-colored and smoky-flavored vinegar, or red rice which produces a red-colored and distinctly flavored vinegar.

Japanese rice vinegar is mellow and mild, and there is a seasoned rice vinegar variety which has salt and sugar and is used in making sushi. Korean rice vinegar is usually made from glutinous or brown rice mixed with nuruk. Vietnam has a spicy and sour rice vinegar.

While rice vinegar is made directly from fermented rice, rice wine vinegar is made from rice wine or the leftovers from the making of rice wine. Rice wine vinegar is made from the lees or dregs of rice wine. These are residues or particles that settle down at the bottom of the wine.

Although one can be used as a substitute for the other, they have different flavors. Rice wine vinegar has a stronger taste just like the Japanese seasoned rice vinegar which is made with sake or rice wine. Like rice vinegar, the flavor and color of rice wine vinegar depends on the type of rice that is used to make it.

Summary:

1.Rice vinegar is made from fermented rice while rice wine vinegar is made from rice wine.
2.Rice vinegar is made directly from rice that is subjected to the process of fermentation while rice wine vinegar is made from the dregs or residue that is left at the bottom of the rice wine.
3.Although they have the same ingredient, which is rice, they slightly differ in their flavors; rice vinegar is milder while rice wine vinegar is stronger.
4.The color and flavor of both types of vinegar depend on the kind of rice that is used to make them.

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