11 Types of Vinegar: A Guide to Cooking With Them and More

There are an awful lot of vinegars in the world—which ones you cook with depends entirely on your favorite flavors and what you’re making. Maybe you favor red wine vinegar for the punchy tang it brings to salad dressing. Or you can’t imagine a bowl of white rice without the gentle acidity of seasoned rice vinegar running through it. Perhaps you fall asleep at night dreaming of bowls of vanilla ice cream covered in ripe summer strawberries dripping with balsamic vinegar.

Whether you’re the kind of cook who has a favorite vinegar for every occasion or simply grabs whichever bottle is closest to the stove, it pays to know what you’re working with. You can often substitute one vinegar for another, but it's worth being strategic. “Each vinegar contributes its own flavor and character rather than just adding acidity,” says Sathish Kumar, the head chef of Indienne in New York and Chicago.

So which bottles deserve a spot in your pantry? We’re breaking down 11 types of vinegar, what to use them for, and substitutions that work in a pinch.

What makes one vinegar different from another?

Vinegar starts with alcohol, which bacteria convert into acetic acid. The starting ingredient—wine, apples, rice, malted barley, or sugarcane, for example—helps determine the flavor, as do the fermentation and aging processes. That's how you get everything from the crisp, fruity tang of apple cider vinegar to the rich, savory complexity of Chinese black vinegar.

There are countless varieties of vinegar; these are just the ones we reach for most often.

Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar starts with—you guessed it—apples. The fruit is fermented first into hard cider and then into vinegar. The result is bright, fruity, and pleasantly tart, with enough character to stand up to bold ingredients. It’s also the subject of some debatable health claims.

We like it in salad dressings, quick-pickled onions, and anything that could use a little fruitiness. It's a natural partner for pork and chicken, particularly in apple-cider braises, and its acidity cuts through the richness of cheeseburger fried rice or braised collard greens. And not for nothing, it makes a heck of a pie.

White wine vinegar is the closest everyday substitute, though Champagne vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar can also work when you want a lighter touch.

Distilled white vinegar

Clear, inexpensive, and unapologetically sharp, distilled white vinegar is the pantry's most straightforward source of acidity. Made by fermenting distilled alcohol, often derived from grains, it has a relatively neutral flavor that lets other ingredients shine.

Tom Carlin, the chef of Burl in Evanston, Illinois, likes adding a dash to braises at the end of cooking. It brightens them “without changing the flavor at all,” he says. That same clean tang makes distilled white vinegar a natural choice for classic dill pickles. It’s also a great base for homemade flavored vinegars, especially those infused with chiles, herbs, or spices.

In many cooked dishes and dressings, you can substitute rice, apple cider, or white wine vinegar. Each will bring its own flavor to the party, so taste as you go.

Red wine vinegar

Red wine vinegar is bold, fruity, and assertive. You can’t dress a classic Greek salad or splash oysters with mignonette without it. Like white wine vinegar, it begins with wine that undergoes a second fermentation, but the red wine base gives it a more robust fruit flavor.

Red wine vinegar brings welcome acidity to BA’s Best Gazpacho, coq au vin, a pot of hearty lentils, and rich meat marinades. If you're making a vinaigrette for a salad loaded with tomatoes, olives, or cheese, this is a good bottle to reach for.

You can use white wine or apple cider vinegar in its place, but Chicago-based Sifr culinary director Sahil Sethi favors sherry vinegar. He says its nutty, aged character gives it a depth that mirrors red wine vinegar’s body and acidity.

White wine vinegar

Fermented from white wine, white wine vinegar has a lighter, more delicate flavor than red wine vinegar. Its gently fruity acidity makes it particularly useful when you want to brighten a dish without overpowering it.

Reach for it to use in salad dressings, seafood marinades, braised chicken, brothy steamed mussels, or a buttery pan sauce like beurre blanc. Conor Dalton, head chef at Smyth in Chicago, calls white wine vinegar “the most versatile” option and likes infusing it with herbs, such as lemon verbena, to sharpen creamy sauces for shrimp and balance richer preparations.

Champagne vinegar is an especially good substitute. Sherry, apple cider, and unseasoned rice vinegars can also stand in, depending on the dish.

Champagne vinegar

Light, fruity, and delicately tangy, Champagne vinegar is typically made from wines produced using the same grape varieties as Champagne, such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily made from Champagne wine, nor does it enjoy the same strict regional protections. Its subtle fruit and floral notes give it a gentler flavor than many white wine vinegars, though it isn’t necessarily less acidic. Some producers age Champagne vinegar in barrels to develop a rounder, more complex flavor. It’s a particularly good choice when a more assertive vinegar might steal the show.

Sethi calls Champagne vinegar his favorite for salad dressing, thanks to its subtle fruitiness. Try it in a vinaigrette for tender greens, drizzled over seafood, or in a dressing for spring vegetables. It can bring a little lift to richer dishes, too, without contributing much competing flavor.

White wine vinegar, though slightly more assertive, is the most straightforward substitute. Unseasoned rice vinegar also works when a mild flavor is the primary goal.

Sherry vinegar

If red wine vinegar is bright and brash, sherry vinegar is its smoother, more nuanced cousin. Made from sherry wine and aged in wooden barrels, this amber-hued vinegar develops a rounded acidity with nutty, sometimes caramel-like notes.

That complexity makes sherry vinegar especially good at finishing sauces, dressing roasted vegetables, and brightening stews. Try it in a classic leeks vinaigrette, braised chicken escabèche, or a glaze for ribeye. Dalton also likes using it to deglaze a pan or brighten a sauce at the end of cooking.

Vinagre de Jerez comes from the area around Jerez, Spain, and must age in wooden barrels for at least 6 months. It’s worth keeping a bottle around if you like a vinegar with a little more depth, but red or white wine vinegar works in many of the same applications. Malt vinegar has a more robust flavor, but can contribute some of the same woody, caramel undertones.

Balsamic vinegar

Dark, rich, and sweet-tart, balsamic vinegar can be a finishing touch or an essential ingredient, depending on the bottle. Traditional balsamic vinegar, made in Modena or Reggio Emilia, Italy, starts with cooked grape must (freshly crushed grape juice), and ages in wooden barrels for at least 12 years. The result is intensely concentrated, syrupy, and complex.

The balsamic vinegar you’re more likely to find at the supermarket is different. Commonly made by combining grape must with wine vinegar, it's generally thinner, tangier, and far less expensive than traditional balsamic. That’s not a bad thing: It's the kind we reach for when making balsamic dressing, roasting brussels sprouts with honey and garlic, or adding sweet-tart depth to Balsamic Mushroom and Sausage Pasta.

For a thicker finishing sauce, you can also simmer everyday balsamic into a balsamic reduction, concentrating its sweetness and acidity. Save especially good aged balsamic for drizzling over Parmesan, ripe tomatoes, or even strawberries and vanilla ice cream.

What about white balsamic vinegar?

Made with grape must processed to minimize browning, white balsamic is paler, lighter, and fruitier than traditional dark balsamic. Use it to brighten a melon salad, dress roasted peppers, bring a little sweetness to a pan sauce without turning everything brown, or to make a sweet-and-tangy custard for a fruit tart.

Both varieties of balsamic are tricky to substitute because their sweetness is as important as their acidity. For dressings or cooked sauces, try sherry or apple cider vinegar with a little honey or brown sugar. It won't have the same depth, but it'll get you closer to the sweet-tart balance.

Rice vinegar

Mild, gently sweet, and endlessly versatile, rice vinegar is a staple in Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese cooking, among other cuisines. It's made by fermenting rice into alcohol and then vinegar, though its flavor and production vary by region.

At the grocery store, you’ll usually encounter two kinds: seasoned and unseasoned.

“Unseasoned rice vinegar has a clean, mild acidity with a subtle sweetness,” says Jae Seong Ha, head chef at Jeong Yuk Jeom restaurant in New York. That makes it a natural fit for Korean dressings, marinades, and pickled vegetables. We also like it in this Crispy Rice Salad with Spicy Tahini Dressing, tomato-basil salad, Salt and Pepper Fish, and miso-caramel glazed salmon.

Seasoned rice vinegar contains added sugar and salt, making it especially convenient for sushi rice and certain dressings.

Wondering about rice wine vinegar? “The terms ‘rice vinegar’ and ‘rice wine vinegar’ are used interchangeably,” Ha says. “When shopping, I pay more attention to the ingredient list and whether the vinegar is seasoned or unseasoned.”

To substitute unseasoned rice vinegar, try Champagne or white wine vinegar. If you need seasoned rice vinegar, start with unseasoned and add a little sugar and salt to taste. You can do the same with another mild vinegar in a pinch.

Black vinegar

Dark, earthy, and deeply savory, black vinegar brings considerably more than acidity to a dish. There are several styles, including Chinkiang vinegar from China, but they’re generally made from fermented grains, such as rice, wheat, or sorghum.

“It has a little sweetness, a malty character, and more fermentation flavor” than milder rice vinegar, says Cheng Lin, chef-owner of Shota Omakase in Brooklyn. He likes it with dumplings, noodles, “and other dishes where you want the vinegar to have a stronger presence.”

Try black vinegar in dipping sauces for scallion pancakes, splashed into a cabbage stir-fry or Black Vinegar Chicken With Radishes, or whisked into a punchy dressing. A little goes a long way.

There’s no substitute for black vinegar's complex, distinctive flavor. If you’re in a pinch, Lin suggests combining balsamic and unseasoned rice vinegar. “It won’t be exactly the same, but it gives you some of that darker, sweeter, aged character.”

Malt vinegar

If you’ve eaten fish and chips, you’ve probably tasted malt vinegar. Made from malted barley, it can range from amber to dark brown, and has a sweet, nutty tang and a toasted flavor.

It’s hard to beat on french fries, but we'd happily splash it over roasted or steamed potatoes, or stir it into mayonnaise for dipping sweet potato wedges too. Malt vinegar can also lend depth to Sweet-and-Sour Tomato Chutney and other sauces. Reduce it with chiles and molasses for a sticky glaze for roast chicken, or use it in a tangy lamb chop marinade.

For fried foods, a squeeze of lemon will provide a similar bright finish, though not malt vinegar’s toasty flavor. Apple cider or sherry vinegar is a reasonable stand-in for sauces and glazes.

Cane vinegar

Made from fermented sugarcane juice, cane vinegar is a staple in many Filipino kitchens—and important in many other cuisines, too, but the category is broad. Sukang maasim is an all-purpose white (clear) cane vinegar, while sukang Iloko is a darker variety hailing from the country’s north, often made from clay-aged sugarcane wine (basi).

Its flavor varies by producer and region, but it generally offers a clean, sometimes subtly sweet acidity. It’s a key ingredient in Philippine adobo, often balanced with soy sauce and aromatics like black pepper and bay leaf. Kumar also points to cane vinegar’s importance in Northern Indian pickling traditions, including sirka pyaaz, tangy onions commonly served alongside kebabs. It also works well in dipping sauces or infused with chiles for a spicy, tangy condiment.

If you can't find cane vinegar, try unseasoned rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar, depending on the dish. Neither is an exact match, but both can provide the acidity you need. Coconut vinegar is another popular option in regions that favor cane vinegar, and can also work well in similar applications.

Other varieties worth knowing

The world of vinegars is vast. Other varieties include honey vinegar, made from mead and vaguely similar to white balsamic; akazu, a beautifully layered red vinegar that comes from aged sake lees; and roasty-toasty beer vinegar, a good swap for malt vinegar.

Coconut vinegar, made from fermented coconut sap, is another versatile option, especially in Filipino and South Asian cooking. Kumar says its flavor is “distinctive and slightly funky” and that it works well in dipping sauces, marinades, and rich, savory dishes.

Vinegar FAQ