What Can I Substitute for Black Vinegar?

You're mixing a dipping sauce for dumplings, potstickers or spring rolls, often with soy sauce, chilli oil and ginger.

• balsamic vinegar cut with rice vinegar — 10 ml balsamic plus 5 ml rice vinegar for every 15 ml black vinegar (3 tsp)
• malt vinegar with a pinch of sugar — 15 ml malt vinegar plus about 1 g sugar for every 15 ml black vinegar (3 tsp)

In a dip the vinegar is tasted raw, so you need the rounded acidity, dark colour and soft sweetness together; the balsamic and rice vinegar blend gets closest on all three, while sweetened malt vinegar brings the grainy, malty note at the cost of a paler sauce.

You're dressing cold noodles, smashed cucumber or a shredded vegetable salad with vinegar, soy, garlic and sesame oil.

• balsamic vinegar cut with rice vinegar — 10 ml balsamic plus 5 ml rice vinegar for every 15 ml black vinegar (3 tsp)
• sherry vinegar — 10 ml for every 15 ml black vinegar (2 tsp)

The dressing coats every strand, so colour and balance show; the blend keeps the dark gloss and mild sweetness, while sherry vinegar adds an aged, nutty depth that stands in for some of the missing complexity if you don't mind a lighter colour.

You're finishing hot and sour soup and the vinegar goes in at the end to give it its sourness.

• malt vinegar with a pinch of sugar — 60 ml malt vinegar plus about 4 g sugar for every 60 ml black vinegar (3 tbsp)AU tbsp = 20ml
• rice vinegar with soy sauce — 12 ml rice vinegar plus 3 ml soy sauce for every 15 ml black vinegar (3 tsp)

The soup is already brown from soy sauce, so colour matters less than a sourness with some body; malt vinegar gives that grainy, savoury tang, and rice vinegar with soy works as long as you hold back the soy elsewhere in the pot.

You're making a stir-fry sauce, such as for kung pao chicken or fish-fragrant eggplant, where a spoonful of vinegar balances soy, sugar and chilli.

• rice vinegar with soy sauce — 12 ml rice vinegar plus 3 ml soy sauce for every 15 ml black vinegar (3 tsp)
• malt vinegar with a pinch of sugar — 15 ml malt vinegar plus about 1 g sugar for every 15 ml black vinegar (3 tsp)

In a hot wok some of the vinegar's sharpness cooks off and the sauce already has sugar, so acidity and savoury depth matter most; both picks cover those, and the sugar in the recipe makes up for the sweetness rice vinegar with soy lacks.

You're simmering red-braised pork, braised mushrooms or another dark braise where vinegar is one of several seasonings.

• balsamic vinegar — 20 ml for every 30 ml black vinegar (1 tbsp)AU tbsp = 20ml
• sherry vinegar — 20 ml for every 30 ml black vinegar (1 tbsp)AU tbsp = 20ml

Long cooking mellows the grapey edge of balsamic and blends it into the soy and sugar, while its dark colour and sweetness suit the glossy sauce; sherry vinegar suits lighter braises where colour matters less.

You're serving soup dumplings or steamed buns with a saucer of black vinegar and shredded ginger, and the vinegar is the whole dip.

• balsamic vinegar cut with rice vinegar — 10 ml balsamic plus 5 ml rice vinegar for every 15 ml black vinegar (3 tsp)

Nothing really replaces it here.

Here the malty, faintly smoky flavour of black vinegar is the point and there is nothing else in the saucer to hide behind, so every substitute tastes clearly different; the blend is edible but will not taste like the dish you are trying to make.

The dipping sauce tastes harsh and too sour.

Why: The substitute was too sharp, such as white vinegar or unsweetened malt vinegar, or a recipe written with 15 ml tablespoons was measured with a 20 ml Australian tablespoon, adding a third more vinegar.

Fix: Stir in a pinch of sugar and a splash of soy sauce or water, then taste again; next time check which tablespoon the recipe uses before measuring.

The sauce or soup tastes too salty.

Why: Soy sauce was added as part of the rice vinegar and soy swap without cutting back the soy sauce already in the recipe.

Fix: Add a little more rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar to rebalance, and dilute soups with water or unsalted stock; for a stir-fry, toss through extra unseasoned vegetables or serve with plain rice.

The dressing or dip tastes sweet and fruity, like an Italian salad dressing.

Why: Straight balsamic was used where the vinegar is tasted raw, and its grape-must sweetness is showing.

Fix: Add rice vinegar a teaspoon at a time to sharpen it, plus a little extra garlic, ginger or chilli oil to pull the flavour back towards Chinese.

The braise has turned sticky and tastes bitter or burnt on the bottom.

Why: The sugar in balsamic caught and scorched as the liquid reduced.

Can't be fixed — next time: Pour the braise into a clean pot without scraping the bottom; if the burnt taste has spread through the sauce it cannot be rescued, so next time add the balsamic in the last 10–15 minutes and keep enough liquid in the pan.

Is black vinegar the same as balsamic vinegar?

No, they are different products. Black vinegar is brewed from grains such as glutinous rice, wheat bran or sorghum and tastes malty and faintly smoky, while balsamic is made from grape must and tastes sweeter and fruitier. Balsamic can stand in for colour and sweetness, but it will not give the same savoury flavour.

Is Chinkiang vinegar the same as Shanxi aged vinegar?

Not quite, although both are Chinese black vinegars and can be swapped for each other in most recipes. Chinkiang vinegar is made mainly from glutinous rice and is milder with a slight sweetness, while Shanxi aged vinegar is made mainly from sorghum and is usually sharper and smokier. If you use Shanxi in a recipe written for Chinkiang, taste and add a pinch of sugar if it seems too sour.

Is black vinegar gluten-free?

Usually not, because most black vinegars are made with wheat bran or barley as well as rice or sorghum. Check the label carefully, and if you need a gluten-free option, the balsamic and rice vinegar blend is a reasonable stand-in.

Does black vinegar need to be refrigerated after opening?

No, an opened bottle keeps well in a cool, dark pantry because its acidity stops it spoiling. Over a long time the flavour may soften slightly, and some sediment can form at the bottom, which is harmless.

Can I leave black vinegar out of dumpling dipping sauce?

You can, but the sauce will taste flat and salty because the vinegar is what cuts through the oily dumplings. If you have no black vinegar or a substitute, a soy sauce and chilli oil dip with a little rice vinegar or a squeeze of lemon is a better choice than soy sauce alone.

How much is a tablespoon of black vinegar in millilitres?

It depends on where the recipe comes from: an Australian tablespoon is 20 ml, while UK, NZ, US, Canadian and most Chinese recipes use a 15 ml tablespoon. Because black vinegar is tasted raw in dips, using an Australian tablespoon for an overseas recipe adds a third more vinegar, so measure 15 ml if the recipe was not written in Australia.