You can get very good results substituting using balsamic vinegar.

dcarch

I like Ringosan Black Vinegar, which is from Japan. The brand is called Uchibori Jozo. I have also bought several brands of Chinese black vinegar and did not notice much difference from one brand to the next. When I get home, I will check to see what I have and let you know if one of them is better. I use black vinegar quite a bit, especially in marinades. When I use black vinegar, I find that less soy sauce is required in the recipe, which cuts down on the salt.

Any Chinese market should have a selection in stock, and the Japanese market that I generally go to usually has it, unless they happen to be out of stock.

Lars

This post was edited by publickman on Fri, Feb 8, 13 at 11:56

I have a large bottle of black vinegar in my refrigerator. I'm not fond of it so far. I'd like to see your recipes as a means of finding a way to to use it. It's a Chinese brand called Koon Chun that I purchased at one of the local Asian markets.

Thanks, Eileen

Dcarch, I have to disagree with you. I don't find Balsamic vinegar a good substitute for Black Vinegar. Unless of course you want to add a sweetness to the dish.

~Ann

I have Koon Chun black vinegar. I've used it for braised pigs feet with ginger, not an everyday dish! I also use it in hot and sour dishes. Koon Chun is widely available.

Cheryl

Posted by ann_t " Dcarch, I have to disagree with you. I don't find Balsamic vinegar a good substitute for Black Vinegar. Unless of course you want to add a sweetness to the dish.
~Ann"

Actually Chinese black vinegar is slightly sweeter than balsamic vinegar:

Two sources from the WEB:

Chinese black vinegar
"Other names: Chinese brown rice vinegar, Chinkiang vinegar, Chekiang vinegar
A dark complex vinegar made of glutinous rice and malt somewhat similar to a balsamic used in Chinese stir-frys, braises and sauces. Black vinegar is from the Chinkiang Province of China. This is a traditional ingredient in sharks fin soup. "

Wiki :
"Black vinegar is an inky black vinegar aged for a rich, mellow, malty, woodsy and smoky flavor-------
Uses
Some promote black vinegar for its medicinal properties, as a tonic which may lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.[1][5] In Japan, kurozu is a somewhat lighter form of black vinegar, made just from rice. It has been marketed as a healthful drink; research on kurozu has suggested it has anti-cancer properties in vivo on rats[6][7] and in vitro on human cancer cells.[8]
Black vinegar has been used as a full-flavored but less expensive alternate to Traditional Balsamic Vinegar"

dcarch

I'll have to look at the brand when I get home from work. The black vinegar I have is not at all sweet. Which is why I like it. And it doesn't have the viscosity(sp?) of Balsamic vinegar.

According to Wikipedia, some, not all Black Vinegars have sugars, spices and colouring added.

Another Web Source:

Compared to balsamic vinegar, Chinese black vinegar is less sweet, less acidic, and has a strong fragrant flavor that is almost spicy in nature (as in sweet spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, etc.); though that spiciness can vary between manufactures and their individual batches due to different makers adding different ingredients which may or may not contain sugar, spices, and colorings.

Wikipedia
East Asian black

Chinese black vinegar is an aged product made from rice, wheat, millet, sorghum, or a combination thereof. It has an inky black color and a complex, malty flavor. There is no fixed recipe, so some Chinese black vinegars may contain added sugar, spices, or caramel color. The most popular variety, Zhenjiang vinegar (鎮江香醋), originated in the city of Zhenjiang, in the eastern coastal province of Jiangsu, China[9] and also is produced in Tianjin and Hong Kong. Shanxi Laochen vinegar 山西老陈醋 is another type of Chinese vinegar that is made exclusively from sorghum

I went home for lunch and checked out what black vinegars I have in stock. As it turns out, I do have the Koon Chun brand from China, and I have to say that it tastes pretty bad, and therefore I must retract my statement that Chinese black vinegars did not vary much - they are extremely different, one brand from another. The Koon Chun is 1.98% Acetic Acid, and is made from vinegar, color, salt, and spice in Hong Kong. The flavor is somewhat sour and not sweet at all and very "off" tasting, as well as watery. I had a good mind to throw the bottle out, but I will keep it as a reminder never to buy it again! It is the worst!! No wonder Eileen does not like it, but don't judge all black vinegars by this one.

The other brand of Chinese black vinegar that I have is from the brand Excellence Food Biochemical Co., Ltd in Taiwan, and it is 2.9% acid. The ingredients in this one are Glutinous Rice Vinegar, Vegetable, Fruit, Malt, Salt, Sugar, Seasoning. This one has a much better flavor, but it also has its own distinct spicy flavor and aroma. It is good, but not as a universal vinegar because the flavor is so specific. It is not sweet at all.

The Japanese vinegar that I have, Rinkosan Kurosu, is made simply of rice and water - no other ingredients are listed, and its acidity is not listed either, but I estimate it to be between 2-3%. It seemed similar to the Excellence brand in terms of acidity, but it has a much more mellow flavor that is somewhat sweet and tart at the same time, which gives it an unusual characteristic. This is the vinegar that I am used to buying, but when the Japanese market was out of it, I was forced to buy the inferior Chinese brands.

I also did a taste comparison of some cheap ($3-$4 a bottle) "Balsamic" vinegar - Monari Federzoni, from Modena, Italy, 6% acid, and it was comparable to the Japanese vinegar in terms of the balance between sweet and sour, but twice as strong. You could use this type of Balsamic (i.e., balanced between sweet & sour) and dilute it 50% with water and it would make an acceptable substitute. Most of the Balsamic vinegars that I have are aged and quite sweet and would therefore not make a good substitute. I buy the cheap Balsamics because I think they are a good alternative to red wine vinegar that is meant to be tart. In fact, it would be a better choice than the Koon Chun vinegar IMO.

I also have brown rice and red rice vinegars, and the brown rice vinegar is somewhat similar to the black vinegar, but not as complex. I have several brands of soy sauce, and their flavors vary quite a bit, but less than I have now found in the black vinegar.

Lars

Edited to add link to on-line source for Rinkosan Kurosu - $7.29 a bottle - a very good price. I highly recommend this! It's listed as a beverage because the Japanese dilute it and drink it.

This post was edited by publickman on Fri, Feb 8, 13 at 17:53

We have 3 currently that are wonderful. Here is a link to 2 of them...DH says they are excellent . You have to go to a good Chinese market to get them. We have one in Atlanta China town. You can't really make a proper sauce without it once you have tasted these...really remarkable...there is one that is almost like a coca cola syrup...but you have to taste it to understand..simply wonderful. c

Here is a link that might be useful: Black vinegars

I confess I bought black vinegar because Lars sang its praises a while back. Years ago I'm sure. But I got the only BAD tasting one! I actually find that pretty funny. I'll just toss the blasted thing. It's been taking up door shelf space for too long. When I go back to the Asian market I'll look for one of the ones above.

Eileen

This post was edited by barnmom on Fri, Feb 8, 13 at 21:21

It turns out I have Plum Blossom, a Chenkiang vinegar which is one of the two pictured in trailrunner's link. Ingredients are water, glutinous rice, salt. To me it doesn't taste sweet, and has a different kind of sourness from balsamic.

Cheryl

The Chinkiang vinegar that trailrunner recommends sounds good, if you like sweet vinegars, and Ming Tsai also recommends it, but he sells a different brand on his web site. I'm going to look for it myself because I did not buy every brand that I found at 99 Ranch. The Plum Blossom brand from Super 88 Market (wherever that is) is only 99 cents for a huge 21 oz. bottle - certainly cheap enough to try even if you end up not liking it.

Sorry, Eileen, but I had only had Japanese black vinegar when I wrote about it before, and I was unaware of the great variations in the Chinese versions! I've been using Oyster Sauce when I want something sweet and syrupy for a Chinese sauce, but it will be interesting to try a sweet Chinese black vinegar.

Lars

This post was edited by publickman on Fri, Feb 8, 13 at 21:44

Lars..that is the 3rd one ! Was just going to post a pic of the bottle and here you go and post it. You will love them..and yes the price isn't reflective of the taste....they are wonderful. DH has a great sauce he makes...if you like I will ask him what he puts in it...he doesn't measure but I can give you an idea...it is outstanding. c

No worries, Lars. I think the Asian market I go to has few Japanese items. I'll check out some other stores.

Eileen

The information has been very helpful. THanks everyone The one brand I considered I have now ruled out given its reviews here. We don't have an Asian grocery within 200 mile of us so online is my only choice. The cookbook I checked out from the library was by Bee Yinn Low "Easy Chinese recipes" I had to do something since a good Chinese restaurant is also unavailable.

The brand of Black Vinegar I use is Kong Yen. It is more like regular vinegar in "texture" and nothing like Balsamic vinegar. More salty than sweet.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kong Yen Black Vinegar

Interesting that TrailRunnerBiker likens the stuff he says is "wonderful" to Coca Cola syrup. Wonder what brand? The Kong Yen brand I just bought and that Ann_t likes so much, tastes to me exactly like a very salty coca cola that's been boiled so all carbonation is eliminated. I was not impressed....didn't get any elements of balsamic or smokiness or the other attributes people assign to it. Look forward to cooking with it (minus any added salt).

plus, if you google it, kong yen was raided by Taipei City health inspectors Sep 12, 2015, for mixing old or returned ingredients and selling them as fresh. Their website isn't up anymore...closed down after 79 years in business?

There are two types of Chinese black vinegars. One is sweet like balsamic and one is salty. The Kong Yen black vinegar (salty) is used for marinating/dips/flavor inhancer in soups. The Zhenjiang one is more sweet and is used for pickling or as a base for pig trotters/post natal soup and also for herbal medicines.