4. Chinese Vinegar

Chinese vinegars are made by fermenting rice or glutinous rice with cereals, spices and sugar. The quality of the vinegars vary greatly among brands. Certain parts of China such as Zhejiang and Shanxi are renowned for their high-quality vinegars. Vinegar from Zhejiang, known as xiang cu or zhe cu in Mandarin has a rich, complex malty flavour that is slightly more on the sweet side. Shanxi is famous for its aged or mature vinegar (chen cu), which is fragrant, with a mellow flavour.