Wanna know about the best black vinegar substitutes? well, you are on the right page today, in this article, I have 6 best substitutes for black vinegar that you can use when you are out of black vinegar in your kitchen.
Are you a foodie? Do you love Chinese? Do you think that black vinegar is the hero of Chinese food? Are you facing any difficulty in finding black vinegar in grocery stores that are nearby? Are you worried that your dish will not be tasty if you can’t find black vinegar? Are you wondering if you can use anything else in place of it?
You can substitute black vinegar with balsamic vinegar, white rice vinegar, malt vinegar, red wine vinegar, date vinegar, and apple cider vinegar.
If you want to know more about the substitutes for black vinegar, read the whole article.
What is Black Vinegar?
Black vinegar is one of the very popular and flavorful kind of kinds of vinegar, it is used in cooking for several purposes.
Black vinegar is made from wheat, barley, and other grains.
And to further enhance its flavor of it, black vinegar is kept for several ages so that it can get that dark (blackish) color and strong flavor.
Black vinegar is widely used in Chinese and Japanese cuisine, especially in Japan where ramen culture is very popular, they use black vinegar as a dipping sauce with ramen.
Black vinegar is also very good for your health, it has several health benefits, especially when you are on a weight loss journey, black vinegar can be your best friend.
6 Best Substitutes Of Black Vinegar
You can carefully substitute black vinegar with any of the below-mentioned options. I’ve personally tried these!
1) Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic vinegar is the first thing you should look for if you can’t find black vinegar.
It is brown in color which is very similar to what black vinegar looks like and sweet in taste as it is made by storing grape juice for years.
While using balsamic vinegar you should always remember that it is sweeter in taste when you compare it with black vinegar. So, if you want to substitute black vinegar in a sweet dish like in making hot and sweet sauce then you don’t have to worry about the difference in taste or texture at all.
How to substitute:
In general, if you want to use balsamic vinegar as a substitute for black vinegar you should use it in lesser quantities than black vinegar. You can use it in a ratio of 1:2.
Balsamic vinegar is also very easy for you to make at home too.
2) White Rice Vinegar
White rice vinegar is another great substitute for black vinegar which you can use in your dish.
As the name suggests that it is white in color so it definitely will not give you the same look of the dish as you would get by using the black vinegar. It is made with rice and water and you can even make this at home.
You can substitute black vinegar with rice vinegar perfectly when you are cooking an Asian cuisine.
How to substitute:
When you use white rice vinegar you should remember that it is more intense when it is compared with black vinegar and you should use it in much fewer quantities.
Rice vinegar will give you a satisfying result definitely as it matches black vinegar in terms of authenticity and texture. So if you want to give your dish the same authentic flavor as black vinegar then you should definitely substitute it with black vinegar.
3) Malt Vinegar
If you want to substitute black vinegar in a dish like salad and for dressings then you can definitely choose malt vinegar.
It also is brown in color and has the same richness as black vinegar. It is mainly made up of a fermented grain which is called malt.
Malt vinegar is much more blended in taste than black vinegar but as it is one of the ingredients used in the making of black vinegar, you can definitely replace black vinegar with malt vinegar.
Pro Tip:
You can use it for dressing salads, cooking fish, making chips, etc. You can also use it in salads and various popular British cuisines. If you add a little bit of sugar to it it will taste perfectly like black vinegar only.
How to substitute:
You can replace it in a 1:1 ratio.
4) Red Wine Vinegar
Red wine vinegar is another substitute that you can use in place of black vinegar as it has the same touch of sweetness as in black vinegar.
This type of vinegar looks red in color and as it is dark it makes the dish look perfect as it would look by using black vinegar. It is authentically made by fermenting wines either red or white.
Red wine vinegar is milder when it comes to comparing acidic levels with black vinegar. So if you want to cook food that is healthy you should substitute it with black vinegar as it has fewer calories. You can use it for marinating, making soup or salad, etc.
How to substitute:
It is usually substituted in a 1:2 ratio with black vinegar.
5) Date Vinegar
If you want to add the same sweetness as black vinegar you can buy date vinegar if it’s available in the shops near you.
It is of deep amber color naturally. As the name suggests it is prepared with dates and it is sweet and thick in nature.
So if you are cooking middle eastern cuisine, date flavor can add some exquisite and rich taste to your dish. Though dates have a fruity touch unlike black vinegar it still has a very similar flavor touch and most importantly sweetness.
You can also include some herbs to have additional flavor touch and can be used to get good sweetness too while you are baking something.
How to substitute:
It is added in the same ratio as black vinegar is required in a dish.
6) Apple Cider Vinegar
Though, you will find apple cider vinegar of a very different color than black vinegar but you can use it as a substitute as it has a similar flavor profile and sweetness.
As the name suggests it is made with apples, by fermenting them. It looks like a yellow-colored oil or maybe you can see that it looks tangy!!
So if you are mainly focusing on adding a substitute of black vinegar to a salad or some food that has already been cooked and you are just aiming towards enhancing the flavor you can surely add apple cider vinegar.
It can be molded as the flavor profile of a dish as it is very versatile and can be both sweet and sour. It is very mild in nature so you should use it with the dishes it will perfectly blend in with.
How to substitute:
You can substitute it in a 1:1 ratio with black vinegar.
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Conclusion
Now you know that black vinegar can be substituted with any of the above-mentioned substitutes and you can make a dish even more delicious by playing around with the flavors. So what are you cooking next?
If you know any other best Substitutes for Black Vinegar then do let us know in the comment section below, we would love to hear from y’all.