Are you a fan of vinegar?
Do you love experimenting with different types of vinegar in your cooking?
If so, you may have come across black vinegar and balsamic vinegar.
While they may look similar in color, they have distinct differences in taste, production, and usage.
In this article, we’ll explore the unique qualities of each vinegar and help you understand which one is best suited for your culinary needs.
So, let’s dive in and discover the difference between black vinegar and balsamic vinegar!
What Is The Difference Between Black Vinegar And Balsamic Vinegar?
Black vinegar and balsamic vinegar are two popular types of vinegar used in cooking.
Black vinegar is an Oriental condiment made from white rice, while balsamic vinegar is made from fermented grape juice. The key difference between the two is that black vinegar is aged in clay pots, while balsamic vinegar is aged in barrels.
Black vinegar has a full-bodied, malty, and complex taste with a faintly sweet flavor. It is mildly acidic, less so than regular distilled white vinegar. On the other hand, balsamic vinegar has a sweeter flavor and is slightly overpowering.
Black vinegar is commonly used in Chinese stir-fries or taken alone, while balsamic vinegar is used for everything from sauces to dressings, glazes, and more.
What Is Black Vinegar?
Black vinegar is a type of vinegar made from fermented black sticky rice or regular glutinous rice. It can also be made using rice in combination with sorghum and/or wheat. Originating in the city of Zhenjiang in Jiangsu province, black vinegar is quite literally black in color and has a mellow, complex flavor with a slight sweetness.
The quality of black vinegar varies just like balsamic vinegars. The better black vinegars are aged for several years, displaying a smoky depth of flavor. Drinking black vinegar daily for its health benefits has become increasingly popular, especially in China and Japan. It is known by many regional names, which can cause confusion when translating them into English.
Black vinegar is similar to regular rice vinegar, but it is aged for a more mellow and rich flavor as well as enhanced nutrient content. Unaged rice vinegar maintains its sharpness and has a narrower flavor profile.
Black vinegar can be diluted down with water and juices to create a “drinking vinegar,” a refreshing and surprisingly flavorful tonic said to relieve everything from high blood pressure to athlete’s foot. It is also commonly used as a dipping sauce for soba noodles, summer rolls, or dumplings.
What Is Balsamic Vinegar?
Balsamic vinegar is a dark, syrupy, slightly sweet yet tangy type of vinegar that is a staple in many kitchens. Authentic balsamic vinegar has a protected designation of origin seal on its label, which guarantees that the vinegar is made in the traditional way using Trebbiano or Lambrusco grape juice from Italian regions of Modena and Reggio Emilia. The grape juice is reduced and then aged in barrels for anywhere between 12 to 25 years.
While authentic balsamic vinegar can be quite expensive, there is a more affordable variety called balsamic vinegar of Modena. This type of vinegar is also produced in the Italian region of Modena, but it is made using a combination of wine vinegar and grape juice and may be aged for less time than the authentic version.
Both types of balsamic vinegar add a darkness, complexity, and sweet acidity to a wide range of dishes. White balsamic vinegar is a milder and slightly less-sweet version of balsamic vinegar. It is primarily made in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna by cooking white Trebbiano grapes at a higher pressure and lower temperature to retain its pale and golden hue. From there, it may be aged for no longer than one year to retain its lightness.
Flavor Profile Of Black Vinegar
Black vinegar has a unique flavor profile that sets it apart from other types of vinegar. It is aged for several years, which allows the flavors to develop and become more complex. The longer it sits, the more depth and richness it acquires.
Black vinegar has a mellow and smoky flavor with a subtle sweetness. It is less acidic than other types of vinegar, making it a great option for those who prefer a less sour taste. The malty notes in black vinegar give it a distinct taste that is often described as earthy, nutty, or even caramel-like.
The flavor of black vinegar can vary depending on the brand and region it comes from. Some black vinegar varieties are made with grains like wheat, millet, and sorghum, which can add additional layers of flavor. Black rice vinegar, for example, is made from black glutinous rice and has a more intense flavor than regular black vinegar.
Flavor Profile Of Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic vinegar has a rich, complex sweetness that explodes in the mouth with notes of fig, molasses, cherry, chocolate, or prune. This vinegar should pick up the flavors of the wood it matured in and may have a slight smokiness. Balsamic vinegar offers a mellow tartness rather than a strong acidity.
The flavor of balsamic vinegar can vary depending on the production method. Generally speaking, the more traditional the balsamic vinegar, the thicker and sweeter the flavor. Traditional balsamic vinegar is great for drizzling over caprese salad or topping with olive oil to use as a dip for fresh bread.
Commercial-grade balsamic vinegar is used more widely for incorporating while cooking, perhaps as a marinade or a sauce base, given its less sweet flavor and thinner consistency. The more commercial the balsamic vinegar, the thinner and more tart and acidic it tends to be.
Production Process Of Black Vinegar
The production process of black vinegar is quite different from that of balsamic vinegar. Black vinegar is made through a two-step fermentation process that involves solid mix-culture fermentation techniques. The first step involves converting grain starches to sugar/glucose using a fermentation starter called jiuqu. This mixture is then fermented into an alcohol mash. The second step involves mixing the alcohol mash with wheat bran, rice hull, and vinegar starter (called pei) in clay pots, where microbes synthesize an abundant quantity of acids. This process takes about 20 days.
After the fermentation process, the vinegar is allowed to age anywhere from 3 months to 10 years depending on the type of vinegar. During this aging process, the vinegar undergoes the Maillard reaction, which is an interaction between carbohydrates and amino acids that results in the darkening of the vinegar’s color. The aging process also helps the vinegar develop its distinct umami taste.
Black vinegar can be made from many different types of grain, but typically glutinous rice is the grain of choice. The manufacturers choose whole steamed grains for their creation and steep them in vinegar before leaving them to sit in clay pots for at least a year. Some manufacturers also add vegetables such as carrots, onions, mushrooms, and even chili to the mix before letting it ferment. Liquorice and caramel are added to the mix to enhance the flavor.
Production Process Of Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic vinegar is a traditional Italian vinegar that is made using a specific and regulated process. The production of balsamic vinegar begins with the pressing of sweet white grapes, such as the Lambrusco or Trebbiano varieties, which are then cooked over a flame until reduced by half. The grapes are pressed whole, including the stems, seeds, and juice, to create a mixture known as “grape must.”
The grape must is then left to ferment naturally for up to three weeks. After this initial fermentation period, the grape mixture is transferred to the first barrel of a “batteria,” which is a series of at least five aging barrels. Each barrel in the batteria is made of a different wood, such as oak, chestnut, cherry, or mulberry, which imparts a unique flavor into the vinegar.
The batteria barrels become smaller and smaller with each progressive step as the vinegar becomes more concentrated. Each year, the smallest cask is drained and bottled. Each successive barrel is filled from the next size up, and the final barrel is topped off with fresh grape must. The longer a vinegar is aged, the more barrels it will have gone through, and the more complex its taste will be.
Traditional balsamic vinegar is aged for a minimum of 12 years, but it can take up to 25 years to reach its full potential. Expert judges assign different grades to different yields of vinegar that correspond with a different color cap because it is difficult to determine the exact age of a vinegar in the same way that you can do for wine.
In contrast to traditional balsamic vinegar, modern commercial balsamic vinegars are made by combining concentrated grape must with wine vinegar to speed up the acidification process. This vinegar is typically aged from 2 months to 3 years in large oak barrels.
