Sour

Appears in

Xi'an Famous Foods: The Cuisine of Western China, from New York's Favorite Noodle Shop

Published 2020

About

Almost any chef will say great food requires a balance of acid—and our acid of choice is vinegar. Specifically, black vinegar, a tangy, rich kick so ingrained in our cooking, so deified, artisans were trained to make it specifically for the imperial court during the Zhou dynasty.

Now black vinegar is everywhere. In Xi’an, we’d have our pick of local vinegars, but stateside, the easiest bottle to buy is the rice-based Zhenjiang vinegar, or Chinkiang vinegar, which you can snag at any Asian supermarket.

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Part of

The Original Track

A Brief Guide to the Flavors of Xi’an

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