What are the four famous vinegars in China? What are the functions in cooking?

It is estimated that at least 1-2 kinds of vinegar can be found in the kitchens of every family in China. The most jealous province in China is Shanxi. Shanxi people are notoriously jealous, and vinegar has become their eating habit. Shanxi vinegar will naturally become the leader.

The vinegar culture in China can be traced back to more than 4000 years ago, and it is a traditional condiment in our major cuisines. At present, the well-known domestic vinegars include Shanxi's aged vinegar, Zhenjiang's balsamic vinegar, Sichuan's baoning vinegar, Fujian's Yongchun vinegar, Xiangxi's original balsamic vinegar, Tianjin's Liu Du vinegar, Shaanxi's Qishan vinegar, Henan's old turtle special vinegar and Redmi vinegar, and Shanxi's Guangling debut vinegar, among which Shanxi's aged vinegar, Jiangsu's Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar, Sichuan's baoning vinegar and Fujian's Yongchun vinegar are even more famous.

Shanxi Mature Vinegar: Qingxu County, Shanxi Province is the authentic birthplace of Shanxi Mature Vinegar and the birthplace of China vinegar culture. Its historical and quality elements make Shanxi Mature Vinegar the first of the four famous vinegars in China. Shanxi mature vinegar is deep purple in color, soft in taste, sour, sweet and mellow, with a long aftertaste.

Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar: Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar is used for state banquet in the Great Hall of the People. It is an excellent condiment and is recognized as "the best in vinegar". The national intangible cultural heritage list also includes the brewing skills of Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar, which has won many awards at home and abroad. Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar belongs to black vinegar. Its characteristic is that the longer it is stored, the more mellow it tastes. It has the characteristics of fragrance, color, alcohol, concentration and acid. It can be said that it is rich in color, fresh in taste, sour but not astringent, slightly sweet in fragrance and has a very unique aroma.

Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar is often used to cook cold dishes, stewed chickens and ducks, vegetarian dishes, cooked fish and other dishes, which can improve the taste and flavor, stimulate appetite, remove fishy smell and relieve boredom. Known as "the top grade in vinegar" at home and abroad, it can be regarded as an excellent condiment.

Baoning Vinegar Baoning Vinegar is named after the place name of Baoning Town, Langzhong City, Sichuan Province. It is a traditional Sichuan specialty with a history of 1000 years. Over the past 400 years, Baoning vinegar has formed a famous vinegar featuring medicinal vinegar and bran vinegar. For a hundred years, Baoning vinegar has been said to be the spirit of Sichuan cuisine, and there is even a saying that "without Baoning vinegar, Sichuan cuisine would have no customers". This is enough to prove the importance and special position of Baoning vinegar in Sichuan cuisine.

Yongchun Vinegar: Fujian famous Redmi Vinegar, the predecessor of Yongchun Vinegar, is made by its unique formula, precise fermentation and aging for many years. Yongchun mature vinegar is brown and black in color, mellow and refreshing, sweet in acid, and will not rot after long storage. Yongchun mature vinegar is not only a good condiment, but also a wonderful use of medicinal diet.

The role of vinegar in cooking: vinegar is an important seasoning in our cooking, and it can also play some other wonderful roles.

1, odor and odor removal:

When we cook some ingredients with strong fishy smell, such as seafood or fish, adding a little vinegar can destroy the fishy smell. Like mutton, mutton has a strong fragrance. When we cook mutton, we can add a small amount of vinegar to remove the flavor of mutton.

2, relieve fatigue, increase fragrance, reduce spicy:

When cooking some greasy and heavy food, add a little vinegar before cooking, which can remove greasy and enhance fragrance, and will not leave vinegar flavor. When cooking, it feels too spicy. You can also add a small amount of vinegar to reduce the spicy taste.

3. Sweetening, ripening and softening of fishbone:

When we stew some difficult ingredients, such as beef, pork and kelp, we only need to add a little vinegar to accelerate the softening of the ingredients. When cooking sweet porridge, only a little vinegar is needed to make the porridge sweeter. When cooking fish, you only need to add a little vinegar to make the bones of small fish softer and more delicious.

4. Anti-oxidation and whitening:

We are dealing with eggplant, lotus root and yam, which are easy to be oxidized and blackened. Adding a small amount of white vinegar when soaking in water can effectively prevent them from being oxidized and discolored, and can also make lotus root and yam whiter and crisper.