What are the different types of vinegar?
The main types of vinegar are cider (apple) vinegar, wine vinegar (red and white), white distilled or spirit vinegar, malt vinegar, rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar and sugar vinegar. All are made the same way: yeast ferments sugars into alcohol, and acetic acid bacteria then turn the alcohol into acetic acid. The starting material gives each its flavour.
Updated
Key facts
- US definitions. FDA's compliance guide defines cider (apple) vinegar, wine (grape) vinegar, malt vinegar, sugar vinegar, glucose vinegar, and spirit, distilled or grain vinegar, and says each "should contain 4 grams of acetic acid per 100 mL". [1]
- Common types in shops. The Vinegar Institute lists "white distilled, apple cider, wine (white and red), rice, balsamic, malt and sugar cane" as typical retail varieties. [2]
- EU and UK wine vinegar. Wine vinegar must be "obtained exclusively by acetous fermentation of wine" and have a total acidity of at least 60 g/l. [3] [4]
How do the main types of vinegar differ?
| Type | Made from | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cider (apple) vinegar | Apple juice, fermented twice | Fruity; see how apple cider vinegar is made [1] |
| Wine vinegar | Grape juice or wine | Red or white [1] [3] [4] |
| White distilled (spirit) vinegar | Dilute distilled alcohol | Neutral and sharp [1] |
| Malt vinegar | Barley malt or cereals | Not distilled [1] |
| Rice vinegar | Sugars from rice | Not in FDA's guide [2] |
| Balsamic vinegar | Grape juice, partly fermented and partly concentrated or heated | Not in FDA's guide [2] |
| Sugar vinegar | Sugar syrup or molasses | [1] |
What is the difference between apple cider vinegar and wine or rice vinegar?
Only the starting material. Apple cider vinegar comes from fermented apple juice, red wine vinegar from grapes, and rice vinegar from rice sugars, so each tastes of its source. [1] [2] For swaps in recipes, see apple cider vinegar substitutes; for the white vinegar comparison, see apple cider vinegar vs white vinegar, and for label names, cider vinegar vs apple cider vinegar. The first fermentation is the same one that makes cider.
Related answers: apple cider vinegar vs white vinegar · how apple cider vinegar is made
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Questions
What is vinegar made from?
Any sugary material of agricultural origin. The Vinegar Institute says vinegar is "always the result of the fermentation of sugars (from agricultural origin) into alcohol by yeast, and the fermentation of that alcohol into acetic acid by acetic acid bacteria." [2]
Is acetic acid the same as vinegar?
Acetic acid is not the same as vinegar. The Vinegar Institute notes that FDA does not treat diluted acetic acid as vinegar, because vinegar comes from fermentation and contains other compounds from its starting material. [2]
Sources
- CPG Sec. 525.825 Vinegar, Definitions – Adulteration with Vinegar Eels — US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Vinegar FAQs — The Vinegar Institute
- Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, Annex VII: Definitions, designations and sales descriptions of products (Part II point 17: wine vinegar) — legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives)
- Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products (official EU text) — EUR-Lex (Publications Office of the European Union)