As part of the topic on Spices and Sapor – the dish that I will be sharing on is Vinegar, which is an essential condiment to the Chinese cuisine.
Vinegar has a documented history of over 3000 years, dating back from the Zhou Dynasty.
History of Vinegar
The role of Vinegar can be found in the Zhouli, 周礼 – which is one of the ancient ritual text listed under the classics of Confucianism, that describes governments, education, social and religious institutions, army, justics, population, territory and agriculture. It was then found that Vinegar was mentioned under the governments section – indicating that the role of Vinegar was more than just a normal condiment to Chinese dishes. Vinegar was used in the royal courts of many Chinese states, and they even had a special position/rank for the person who brew Vinegar, which is known as 酢人 (酢 used to be the word for 醋, Vinegar). As we can see, this may indicate that Vinegar is highly-regarded in the royal courts back then. It was only in the Tang Dynasty – the use of Vinegar spread to the common and became an essential part of Chinese cuisine.
Uses of Vinegar
1. Medicine
As described in the “Recipes for 52 Ailments” – Vinegar can be used for treatment for many common conditions, including snack bites.
2. Essential Condiment
It is said to that adding vinegar will bring sweetness and sourness to the dish, adding in a pungent flavor.
3. Cleaning
Households usually uses Chinese White Vinegar for cleaning purposes, especially for wooden furniture.
Famous Chinese Ancient Painting – The Vinegar Tasters
A famous Chinese Religious Painting – “The Vinegar Tasters” involved the use of Vinegar to show the 3 major religious and philosophical beliefs in China.
In the picture above, depicts the 3 founders of China’s major religious and philosophical traditions – Confucianism (Confucius, 孔子), Buddhism (Buddha, 佛陀) and Taoism (Lao Zi, 老子). It can be seen that they are dipping their fingers into the same vat of vinegar, but showing 3 different expressions – sour, bitter and sweet.
With a closer look – it can be seen that 孔子 had a sour expression, which means he sees life as sour as he believes that the world is in need to correct the degeneration of people (which is aligned to Confucianism). Buddha had a bitter expression, which means he sees life as bitter – as he feels that life is filled with pain and suffering. Lastly, 老子 had a sweet expression, just like how the teachings of Taoism view the world – every natural thing is intrinsically good as long as it is true to nature. This means 老子 tasted vinegar as it is – vinegar is vinegar, nothing more or nothing less.
One personal key takeaway from this famous painting was the the fact that three different ideologies work and go hand-in-hand. The 3 men did not argue with each other over the same vat of vinegar despite having different perspectives towards it. These 3 men had different set of beliefs but have later inspired similar ways of achieving happiness and harmony in life within humanity. This means that none of the beliefs are wrong or superior over the another – it just means, they are simply different.
Fermentation of Vinegar
Like all other vinegar, the basic path to vinegar is the fermentation of an alcoholic substance by vinegar bacteria.
- Ingredients are being crushed and steamed, as the heat of the steam helps to activate and accelerate the growth of enzymes already present in the ingredients.
- Qu (曲) – a large brick-like substance containing a mixture of yeasts, is being added.
- The mixture is then placed in an urn at optimal temperature. The mixture is then changed between urns a few times to be kept at an optimal temperature for growth.
- Pei (醅) which is made from dehydrated raw vinegar and activating bacteria is added, to facilitate vinegar conversion.
- Mixture is then washed with water and placed into vats to leave to age for a period of time.
Types of Vinegar
Just like our soy sauce which have dark and light – we have different types of vinegar as well. The 3 main common vinegar used are – Black Vinegar, White Vinegar and Red Vinegar.
Chinese Black Vinegar: Made from rice, wheat, millet or sorghum.
Chinese White Vinegar: Made from fermented rice.
Chinese Red Vinegar: Made from red rice, barley and sorghum.
China’s Four Famous Vinegar
- Zhenjiang Black Vinegar – reportedly has a history of 1400 years, first originated from Zhenjiang, a city in the eastern province of Jiangsu, just next to Shanghai. The primary ingredients are steamed rice, wheat, barley and pea. The vinegar’s flavour can be adjusted by adding water filtered through rice, heated until black in colour.
- Shanxi Matured Aged Vinegar – from the east-central Chinese province of Shanxi. The difference between the Zhenjiang and Shanxi is the amount of Qu added, and up to almost 1/3 of the total mass.
- Sichuan Baoning Vinegar – created in year 1617 as the Ming Dynasty was coming to a close. The Qu for Baoning Vinegar is slightly different in which it contains types of traditional Chinese herbs, imparting special flavour and reputed health properties to the finished vinegar.
- Fujian Yongchun Red Vinegar – the red colour comes from the red mold added in the Qu.
References
Britannica, T. E. of E. (n.d.). Zhouli. Retrieved October 14, 2019, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Zhouli.
Fandrie, Smith, R., & Tashi. (2019, October 9). China’s “Four Famous Vinegars”. Retrieved October 14, 2019, from https://supremevinegar.com/2016/11/16/chinas-four-famous-vinegars/
Fong, S. (n.d.). Chinese Vinegar. In Sauces, Seasonings and Spices (Vol. 7, pp. 5–24).
Matson, T. (2019, February 1). The Ultimate Guide to the Best Chinese Vinegar. Retrieved October 14, 2019, from https://www.yumofchina.com/chinese-vinegar/.
Wan, L. (2019, July 18). Discover All the Varieties of Chinese Rice Vinegar. Retrieved October 14, 2019, from https://www.thespruceeats.com/chinese-rice-vinegar-types-and-recipes-4081768.
Zhao, R. (2015). Culture of Chinese Spices and Herbs. In A History of Food Culture in China. Retrieved from https://books.google.com.sg/books?id=tLPACwAAQBAJ&lpg=PA60&dq=history%20of%20vinegar%20in%20china&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=vinegar&f=false