Kitchen Series - White Vinegar

Vinegar plays an indispensable role in Chinese cooking and is commonly used in stir-fried dishes and cold salads. In Western cuisine, it is often used to prepare salad dressings or to pickle vegetables. In Japanese cuisine, it is commonly used to season rice for sushi.

White vinegar is made by fermenting distilled alcohol and has a relatively mild acidity. The benefits of white vinegar include:

1.     Preserving vegetable color and reducing vitamin loss.
When boiling potatoes, adding a spoonful of vinegar to the water helps preserve their natural color. Peeled potatoes soaked in water with two spoonfuls of vinegar will not turn dark. Adding some vinegar when cooking cabbage helps maintain an attractive, bright color. Adding a little vinegar when stir-frying vegetables can reduce the loss of vitamins.

2.     Removing fishy odors and greasiness.
When cooking seafood or animal organs such as tripe, intestines, or heart, vinegar can eliminate fishy and unpleasant odors. For ingredients with strong odors, soaking them in vinegar in advance is also effective.

3.     Tenderizing meat for better flavor.
Old chicken or duck is difficult to cook until tender; soaking it in ice water with a small amount of vinegar for two hours, then simmering over low heat, makes the meat tender and flavorful. Adding a tablespoon of vinegar when cooking beef makes it softer and juicier. Adding some vinegar when stewing lamb helps remove the strong mutton smell. When making pork rib soup or fish soup, adding a little vinegar helps dissolve calcium, phosphorus, and iron from the bones and fish, making them easier for the body to absorb.

The acetic acid content per 100 mL of vinegar is at least 3.5 g for regular vinegar and at least 5 g for premium vinegar. Kar Wah White Vinegar contains 5.6% acetic acid. With its unique formula specially developed for restaurants, it has been favored by customers for many years.