Meaning & use
rice vinegar
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountable
A mild, slightly sweet vinegar made from fermented rice, widely used in East Asian cooking.
Grammar: Used without a: add a splash of rice vinegar.
Patterns
- a splash of rice vinegar
- season something with rice vinegar
She mixed rice vinegar and sugar into the warm sushi rice.
A little rice vinegar brightens a bowl of noodles.
The dressing is made with rice vinegar, sesame oil and ginger.
Common combinations
- seasoned rice vinegar
- Seasoned rice vinegar already contains sugar and salt.
- a splash of rice vinegar
- Stir in a splash of rice vinegar at the end.
- rice vinegar dressing
- A rice vinegar dressing suits cucumber salad.
- unseasoned rice vinegar
- Use unseasoned rice vinegar if you want to control the sweetness.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rice wine vinegar
- This is another name for the same product and is common in American shops.
- white vinegar
- White vinegar is sharper and harsher, so it needs more care when swapping in.
- cider vinegar
- Cider vinegar tastes fruity and stronger, so it changes the flavor of Asian dishes.
Word family
Commonly confused: rice vinegar or rice wine?
rice vinegar vs rice wine
Rice wine is an alcoholic drink such as mirin or sake, while rice vinegar is the sour liquid made from it.
Practice
Which would you most likely add to sushi rice?
Choose one answer.
Rice vinegar is mild and slightly sweet, which suits sushi rice. Malt and balsamic vinegar are too strong and have flavors that clash.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rice vinegar”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.