A mix of balsamic vinegar and rice vinegar, roughly equal parts, gets closest to Chinkiang black vinegar’s dark colour and mellow sourness. Plain rice vinegar alone works if balsamic isn’t to hand, though the flavour will be sharper and lighter in colour.
The best substitutes
- Balsamic vinegar mixed with rice vinegar. The closest match for both colour and mellow, slightly sweet sourness.
- Worcestershire sauce, diluted. An unusual but workable stand-in for dipping sauces, given its dark colour and savoury tang.
- Plain rice vinegar. Lighter in colour and sharper in taste, but fine for most cooked dishes.
- Apple cider vinegar with a splash of soy sauce. Adds some colour and depth closer to the original.
Where black vinegar is used
Chinkiang, or black, vinegar is most often used as a dumpling dipping sauce, in cold noodle dressings, and stirred into braises for a rounded sourness that’s milder than most Western vinegars.
