Recently, food safety issues with soy sauce have indeed drawn public attention, prompting reflection and research on the types, content, and additives in soy sauce, resulting in a significant increase in related knowledge. Similarly, vinegar, one of the essential condiments in daily cooking, is indispensable. How do you choose vinegar? What key indicators should you consider when selecting vinegar? Let's discuss this today.
Vinegar making is a long chemical reaction process.
The principle of grain vinegar making is to first steam the grains, inoculate them with mixed bacteria (koji), and use various amylases secreted by microorganisms to convert the starch in the grains into sugar (saccharification). Then, yeast anaerobic ferments the sugars into alcohol (ethanol), and finally, acetic acid bacteria convert the alcohol into acetic acid.
The students have already studied this chemical reaction process. Therefore, theoretically, making vinegar is more difficult than brewing wine, the process is longer, and it requires more manual labor.
Grains, wheat, rice, potatoes, and corn are all raw materials for vinegar.
Vinegar is made from a variety of ingredients, and each region has its own specialty vinegar. For example, various grains such as sorghum, millet, buckwheat, and barley are used. Grain vinegar, traditionally produced in the north, is considered a major ingredient in vinegar, and some products also add starchy beans. Rich and flavorful aged vinegar is a prime example of grain vinegar.
Wheat is abundant in the Central Plains region, making it a primary ingredient in vinegar.
The Jiangnan region is famous for its rice production, and vinegar is mainly made from glutinous rice and regular rice. Soft and sweet glutinous rice vinegar belongs to this category.
Rice is grown in both Beijing and Tianjin, and rice vinegar made from rice is also very popular.
In addition, starchy raw materials such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn can also be used to make vinegar.
Wheat bran is often added during vinegar making, and adding it in moderation is beneficial. Wheat bran contains abundant B vitamins and minerals, which promote the growth of vinegar-making microorganisms and increase the micronutrient content of the vinegar.
Fruit vinegar is made from fruits or dried fruits, such as apple cider vinegar, grape vinegar, persimmon vinegar, and jujube vinegar. Dried fruits are rich in sugar, which eliminates the troublesome step of starch saccharification. In addition, fruit vinegar also contains organic acids naturally found in fruits, such as citric acid, malic acid, and tartaric acid. Its sour taste differs from grain vinegar, and it also has a fruity aroma, making it quite delicious.
Some vinegars are made partially or entirely from alcohol. Using low-alcohol spirits or edible alcohol as raw materials, the saccharification and alcoholic fermentation processes are eliminated, so the vinegar is brewed very quickly, taking only two or three days.
Vinegar produced this way avoids the complex fermentation process and the "browning" caused by the Maillard reaction, resulting in a very light color and a high acetic acid content. Commercially available white vinegar is often made directly from alcohol, or by mixing a small amount of rice with alcohol.
Aged vinegar, made from grains and beans, has high nutritional value.
During vinegar production, B vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, and zinc from grains can leach into the vinegar. This is because most B vitamins prefer acidic environments; for example, vitamins B1 and B2 are acid-loving and alkali-sensitive substances. Simultaneously, most insoluble calcium, iron, and zinc compounds in grains dissociate into ions in acetic acid and dissolve in the vinegar. Grains also contain various polyphenolic antioxidants, which also leach into the vinegar and remain stable for a long time.
Therefore, vinegar has a much higher nutritional value than beverages. Especially aged vinegar made from grains and beans, which is as rich in calcium, potassium, magnesium, and B vitamins as milk. However, milk can be drunk in large glasses, while vinegar is consumed spoonful by spoonful, so the actual daily nutritional intake is not as high. Even so, the nutritional value of high-quality vinegar is still superior to other condiments.
What additives are in vinegar?
In addition to the vinegar ingredients mentioned above, vinegar often contains some non-essential ingredients.
1. Sugar: Neutralizes acidity and softens texture.
To soften the sour taste, small amounts of sugar, syrup, or sweeteners are often added, making the flavor more mellow and richer. This is especially true of the fragrant vinegar favored by people in southern China, which has a strong sweetness due to the addition of a lot of sugar. Of course, vinegar isn't a strong beverage. Even with some sugar added, there's no need to worry about consuming excessive amounts of sugar.
2. Salt: regulates microbial fermentation; much less salt is used in soy sauce.
Salt is also added during the brewing process. Besides flavoring, it also regulates the fermentation process by microorganisms. However, compared to soy sauce, vinegar contains much less salt. Therefore, there's no need to worry about adding two tablespoons of vinegar leading to excessive sodium intake. On the contrary, adding vinegar can enhance the flavor of low-salt dishes, helping people enjoy reducing their salt intake.
3. Cooling agents: Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is very common.
To enhance the flavor of vinegar, some vinegar products add flavor enhancers, such as monosodium glutamate (MSG). However, MSG doesn't exert its maximum umami effect in the acidic environment of vinegar. But when vinegar is used in sauces or added to cold dishes, the acetic acid is diluted, and the acidity of the dish may fall within the slightly acidic range. In this case, MSG can fully exert its umami flavor.
4. Small amounts of preservatives: usually potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, or sodium dehydroacetate.
For products where acetic acid concentration is insufficient to completely inhibit bacterial growth at room temperature, small amounts of preservatives permitted in China need to be added, such as potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, and sodium dehydroacetate, similar to soy sauce. In addition, these preservatives are often added to other condiments that do not contain sufficient oil and salt. When the acetic acid content reaches 6% or a large amount of salt is added, preservatives are no longer necessary.
5. Other flavor components
Some vinegars have other flavoring ingredients added to make garlic dumpling vinegar, ginger vinegar, ginger seafood vinegar, cooking wine, seafood seasoning, etc.
When buying vinegar, please refer to the following points.
1. Note what type of vinegar it is.
If you want a softer and sweeter texture, choose sweet vinegar made from glutinous rice; if you want a richer flavor, choose aged vinegar; and for a refreshing taste, choose rice vinegar.
Every region has its own unique tastes and preferences. People in Beijing and Tianjin like to dip dumplings in rice vinegar, people in Shanxi prefer aged vinegar, and people in the Yangtze River Delta region prefer balsamic vinegar. Shaanxi has bran vinegar, Fujian has red vinegar, and each region has its own renowned and high-quality products recognized by its residents.
In cooking, some dishes require specific vinegars. West Lake fish goes well with balsamic vinegar, hot and sour soup with aged vinegar, and shredded lettuce and purple cabbage with white vinegar. Some Western dishes require grape vinegar or apple cider vinegar to truly experience their authentic flavor.
You cannot directly compare the quality of different types of vinegar. You can only compare the quality of different products of the same type of vinegar.
However, in terms of nutritional value, aged vinegar is unparalleled. Its calcium, iron, and other minerals, B vitamins, and antioxidants are all top-notch because it concentrates the micronutrients from whole grains. Those milder-tasting vinegars usually have lower nutritional content. However, the amount of vinegar available is ultimately limited, and providing nutrition is not its primary function.
2. Pay attention to the "total acidity" indicator. It needs to be 3.5% to meet the standard. The higher the acidity, the better the quality.
Vinegar is acidic because it contains acetic acid and small amounts of other organic acids. These acids can dissociate to release hydrogen ions, causing a sour taste on the tongue. According to Chinese laws and regulations, vinegar products must have a total acidity of at least 3.50% to be considered qualified vinegar for sale.
Generally speaking, apart from white vinegar, the higher the acidity of vinegar among similar products, the better the quality, because this means that the product has a high concentration of flavor components or has been aged.
Although vinegar is not as salty as soy sauce and its salt content is similar to that of strongly flavored dishes, it also contains "natural antibacterial components" that inhibit the growth of microorganisms, namely organic acids such as acetic acid. Therefore, the higher the total acidity, the stronger the antibacterial ability.
3. Pay attention to whether it has been aged and for how long.
After the vinegar mash is poured out, it undergoes a long aging process. During this process, the water slowly evaporates, and some of the acetic acid, which has a pungent odor, also volatilizes. The various non-volatile organic acids in the vinegar, as well as the sugars and amino acids, are continuously "concentrated," and the resulting product is aged vinegar.
As vinegar ages, its acidity gradually increases. When the total acidity exceeds 6%, it can be stored at room temperature for a long time without the problem of microbial growth, so no preservatives need to be added.
The longer the aging process, the more concentrated the delicate and sweet substances become, the less pungent the acetic acid taste, the richer the organic acid content, and the longer the aftertaste of the vinegar. At the same time, the micronutrients in vinegar are also concentrated.
Aging not only takes many years, but also requires space and labor, while its volume and weight continuously decrease. Therefore, for the same type and brand of vinegar, the longer the aging time, the higher the price.
Generally speaking, vinegar aged for 3-6 years can reach a good quality for consumption. Vinegar aged for more than ten to several decades is quite expensive, just like aged wine, and is beyond the reach of ordinary consumers' daily cooking.
4. Check for product certification marks.
Meeting the production standards for organic and green foods and obtaining relevant certifications requires significant investment. Therefore, certified products, assuming the same aging time, are more expensive than similar products. These certified products offer greater assurance regarding pesticide residues and toxic pollutants. However, this does not necessarily mean they taste better. Supermarket-sold qualified products must meet standards for major pollutant residue levels. Moreover, vinegar is only a small amount of edible product, and the total amount of environmental pollutants it can contribute is limited. Some products have "geographical indication" certification, indicating they are unique, high-quality products from a specific region.
Don't worry too much about whether it has zero additives or contains sucrose.
As for "zero additives," "sugar-free," and "gluten-free," don't pay too much attention to them. These are just marketing concepts and don't mean the product is better or tastes better.
After all, vinegar is a condiment. Provided it's safe and meets standards, the better its flavor, the more worthwhile it is to buy. Buying low-quality vinegar, or even "sour condiment liquid" that doesn't meet the standards for brewing vinegar, just to save money or because of some marketing hype, is simply fooling yourself and your family.
It's important to note that all products labeled "vinegar" now must be brewed vinegar. Therefore, consumers don't need to bother trying to determine whether a black vinegar is fermented or simply a mixture of glacial acetic acid, caramel color, salt, and sugar.
Did "aged vinegar" exist in the past? Such products still exist, but they can only be renamed "vinegar-flavored sauce," a complex acidic liquid condiment produced during the preparation process. Therefore, when buying vinegar, you must make sure you are buying not just vinegar, but also some kind of sour sauce or complex condiment.
