15 Types Of Vinegar To Elevate Your Cooking

Vinegar is surprisingly ancient. Research has traced it all the way back to 5,000 BC, when it was used for cooking, as a tonic, and as a preservative. That’s not so different than how we use it today.  

Of course, they probably didn’t have as many types of vinegar as we see these days. This wide variety is because vinegar can be made from so many different base ingredients using a two-step fermentation process.

Essentially, yeast feeds on the starches in various plant-based ingredients, such as grapes, apples, malted barley, potatoes, or rice, to create a type of alcohol. Then, there’s a second fermentation step with acetic acid bacteria, which converts the alcohol into acetic acid.

This acetic acid is what creates the distinct sourness we associate with vinegar. This acidity can improve the depth of flavor in many recipes, can help with cleaning, and could even offer some health benefits.  

Despite using a common process, the various vinegars differ considerably. Some, like balsamic vinegar, have a strong flavor that directly impacts your meals. Others have a less distinct flavor and plenty of sourness. Thankfully, there are plenty of types of vinegar to choose from, including balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, black vinegar, and more.

15 Types Of Vinegar

White Vinegar

When we talk about vinegar, white vinegar is probably the type that comes to mind. It’s clear and has an intense sour flavor, with few complexities.

This vinegar works well in a wide variety of situations. In the kitchen, it’s often used for pickling vegetables and is an ingredient in plenty of recipes. Due to its limited scent and antimicrobial properties, it’s also a popular type of vinegar for cleaning.

White vinegar generally has an acetic acid content of between 5% and 7%. However, you can find stronger versions with an acetic acid content of up to 20%. Such stronger versions aren’t needed for cooking, but can sometimes be helpful for cleaning (seriously, the acidity of regular white vinegar is more than enough for your recipes).

Pickle Juice Vs Apple Cider Vinegar

Is Apple Cider Vinegar Good For You?

Sous Vide Strawberry-Chili Vinegar

Is Balsamic Vinegar Good For You?

Is Vinegar Good For You?

Distilled Vinegar

As the name suggests, distilled vinegar has been through a distillation process. This extra step removes many of the impurities from the vinegar, giving it a more neutral flavor.

This approach is especially common with white vinegar, giving you the distilled white vinegar that is frequently used for cleaning. However, other types of vinegar can be distilled as well, sometimes leading to subtle colors in the final product.

For the most part, distilled vinegar and white vinegar are interchangeable. You can use them in all the same recipes and situations. You often won’t even notice a difference.  

White Wine Vinegar

Not surprisingly, white wine vinegar is made from white wine. It’s less acidic than white vinegar and offers some fruity notes, making the vinegar fantastic in the kitchen.

You might use this vinegar as part of a salad dressing, a sauce, or a marinade. Or, you could simply drizzle it on top of a finished meal to make it more vibrant.

Red Wine Vinegar

This type of vinegar is made from red wine and can be aged, practices that give it a richer and more complex flavor profile than white wine vinegar.

Because the flavor is more intense, red wine vinegar works best with rich meals, such as marinades for red meat and in sauce reductions.

Notably, red wine vinegar isn’t the same as red cooking wine and is most relevant when you want acidity as well as a robust flavor.

Balsamic Vinegar

Now we have balsamic vinegar. This is dark, intensely flavored, and often used for drizzling (like drizzling balsamic vinegar over a caprese salad).

The flavor is directly related to production. The traditional approach relies on unfermented grape juice that has been extensively aged. Some of the juice evaporates during this aging, concentrating the vinegar and intensifying the flavors.

That said, modern balsamic vinegar doesn’t always follow these processes. Many products have been made with minimal aging. Some even have additives to change the flavor profile or have been diluted with a cheaper type of vinegar.

So, if you want the authentic flavor of balsamic vinegar, you’ll need to choose carefully. Look for products from reliable companies, especially those who are transparent about how their vinegar is produced.

Also pay attention to the aging. Younger balsamic vinegars tend to be lighter, less intense, and cheaper, while older ones are more complex and should be used sparingly.

Malt Vinegar

Malt vinegar is made from malted barley and retains a distinct malt-like flavor, including toasted and nutty notes. While the flavor is notable, it isn’t as strong nor as complex as balsamic vinegar.

In British cuisine, malt vinegar is often paired with fish and chips, a practice that is much less common in the United States. Here, malt vinegar is more often used for pickling and in some recipes.

If you have some on hand, why not try it with fried food? You might be pleasantly surprised.  

Chinese Black Vinegar

Black vinegar isn’t just vinegar with black coloring. Instead, it’s a specific type of vinegar that has its own distinct flavor profile. There are two popular versions of this on the market today – the Chinese version (Chinkiang vinegar) and the Japanese one (kurozu).

Chinkiang vinegar has a distinctive tang, along with some underlying sweetness and smokiness. Overall, it’s a much more complex version of vinegar than normal, one that’s perfect as a dumpling dipping sauce. It can also be used on top of noodles, in a vinaigrette, or in plenty of other situations.

Interestingly, the flavor is different from balsamic vinegar, as balsamic vinegar is made from grapes, while Chinese black vinegar uses rice as the base ingredient (often glutinous rice or fermented black sticky rice).

Japanese Black Vinegar

Then there’s the Japanese version, known as kurozu. This type of vinegar regularly features in Japanese cuisine, although it is versatile enough to be used in other situations too.

The vinegar is made through traditional processes. This starts with a mixture that typically includes brown rice, rice malt, and yeast. This mixture goes through extended open air fermentation in large jars.

The open air approach exposes the vinegar to the elements, creating natural complexity and variation. The vinegar is then aged, which makes the flavor profile even more complex.

These processes give the kurozu a fascinating flavor profile that’s well worth trying.   

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar barely needs an introduction, as it has been trending in recent years. This vinegar is made from fermented apple juice, which gives it a fruity and slightly sweet flavor profile.

The flavor profile of apple cider vinegar makes it a fantastic ingredient in salad dressing and condiments.

Of course, the big focus with apple cider vinegar is the potential health benefits. The vinegar is often touted as helping with weight loss, blood sugar management, cholesterol, and many other things.

Evidence for such benefits is limited. But, on the plus side, small doses of the vinegar are unlikely to cause harm either. This gives you the chance to experiment and see what effect the vinegar has for you.

If you are looking for health benefits, versions of apple cider vinegar with the ‘mother’ may be the most powerful. This ‘mother’ is a collection of microbes, proteins, and enzymes that are only present in unfiltered apple cider vinegar. Some of these elements could provide more benefits than apple cider vinegar on its ow.      

Champagne Vinegar

Champagne vinegar is an interesting case. It’s made from the same grapes used to produce champagne and ends up with a delicate and fruity balance of flavors.

This vinegar doesn’t have the same harshness as most other types, so it works well with subtle flavors.

Sherry Vinegar

Sherry vinegar is a potent option, with a rich flavor profile and some slight nutty notes. This flavor isn’t surprising, as sherry itself can be strong and sherry vinegar is also aged, which adds complexity to the flavor profile.

Think of sherry vinegar as a cousin to balsamic vinegar. The two have plenty in common and can be used in many of the same situations. However, they also have some interesting flavor differences.

Rice Vinegar

Rice vinegar also goes by the name rice wine vinegar and, you guessed it, is made from rice. This vinegar is commonly used in Asian cooking, where it adds a slightly sweet flavor without too much acidity.

There are various versions of the vinegar, such as one made using black rice, which is both intense and sweet. There’s also a red rice version with a complex flavor profile and moderate acidity.

If you’re following a recipe, make sure you choose the right type of rice vinegar. If none is specified, you’re likely looking for white rice vinegar, as this is the most common.  

Cane Vinegar

Cane vinegar isn’t as common as some of the other entries. It’s made from sugar cane, so it’s most common where sugar cane is regularly grown.

Oddly, the vinegar isn’t that sweet at all. It has a fresh flavor profile instead, one with some similarities to malt vinegar. While cane vinegar is often light, some versions are aged, which makes them darker and provides a more complex flavor profile.

You’ll most often see this vinegar used in Southeast Asian cooking, including in Filipino dishes like adobo.  

Coconut Vinegar

Coconut vinegar is made from coconut flower sap, rather than the flesh of coconuts. It is a sweet and mild vinegar, without any notable coconut flavor.

Vinegar can be used in various situations, such as in marinades, dipping sauces, and salad dressings. Some people even mix coconut vinegar with water and consume it as-is.

Beer Vinegar

Beer vinegar is literally made by fermenting beer. This gives it a similar flavor profile to malt vinegar, although the two vinegars aren’t exactly the same.

Because beer vinegar can be made from any type of beer, there’s more variation than with other vinegars. So, you might need to experiment with a few versions of beer vinegar to really get a sense of it.