Rice vinegar: benefits and harms. How to make and use rice vinegar? Rice vinegar benefits

Sushi came to us, as you know, from Japanese cuisine, in which each ingredient plays a special role. Often, people who decide to cook sushi on their own wonder - what is rice vinegar for sushi and how to use it correctly? Indeed, in recipes, he is usually necessarily mentioned. You can find the answer to this question with us, we will tell you about the correct use of this product so that you are definitely not mistaken! How much rice vinegar to add? What does it taste like? The questions will be covered in detail, and you will be pleasantly surprised if you prepare everything according to our recommendations.

What is it and how to use it?

Rice vinegar has a sweetish taste, it is quite soft and without it, and not sushi at all, the Japanese definitely know a lot about cooking. How much rice vinegar you need, no one can tell you for sure, because everyone has their own secrets, so try experimenting.

Vinegar is added to flavor the rice and makes it a little sticky. This will help you shape the rice for a wide variety of shapes. How much vinegar is required to make the rice sticky enough is also worth determining when cooking. A lot depends on how much rice vinegar you add, and one of the nicest things is that it is very healthy and even antibacterial.

But how much is it?

To make the rice vinegar dressing, you need sugar and salt. For 450-500 g of rice, you need to put 2 tablespoons. vinegar and 1 tsp. salt and sugar. Without bringing to a boil, stir the dressing, then sprinkle the rice with this mixture or simply water it using wooden utensils. Stir gently without applying pressure so as not to accidentally cook the porridge.

For us, rice vinegar is an exotic and little used product. This is a shame, because the health benefits of fermented rice seasoning are difficult to assess. Rice vinegar was invented in China about 3 thousand years ago, over time it came to Japan, where it became an important element of the national cuisine.

How is rice vinegar made?

The production of rice vinegar involves several stages and in its complexity resembles the process of making a noble wine. The main ingredient is, of course, rice, which is first steam-cooked. Then the slightly crushed grains are mixed with water and left to ferment.

Over time, the glucose in rice begins to break down and turn into alcohol. This stage lasts about a month and produces nothing more than sake - a classic rice wine.

Then bacteria of acetic acid are added to it, which give repeated fermentation. This phase lasts another two weeks. The resulting product is already, in principle, vinegar, but it is left to rest for another year, and then pasteurized at a temperature of 60 degrees.

Why is rice vinegar needed in the diet?

1. Unfortunately, today's diet, rich in sugar, flour and meat, leads to acidification of the body, as a result of which the blood clots and cholesterol levels increase. Paradoxically, vinegar, although sour in taste, purifies the blood by allowing that acidity to be neutralized by making the blood more alkaline.

2. Natural acids contained in rice vinegar (including acetic, lemon, apple) stimulate the metabolism of the whole organism, improve all physiological processes through the blood. As a result, we feel a surge of strength, we enjoy life.

3. Vinegar enhances the production of stomach acid, allowing for increased absorption of calcium from the diet, which is important for healthy bones and teeth.

4. Helps with movement problems arising from the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles and joints, which causes pain in the hips and shoulders.

5. Rich in antioxidants, it strengthens the body's immune system by eliminating free radicals.

6. Vinegar is used topically to relieve skin problems. When mixed with water and tea tree oil, you can create a wonderful toner that unclogs pores, fights inflammation, and improves skin tone.

7. It is especially effective against E. coli, salmonella and other bacteria responsible for the spread of foodborne infections and diarrhea.

Rice vinegar for a healthy heart

By purifying the blood, rice vinegar has a significant effect on the health of the heart and the entire cardiovascular system. The level of bad LDL cholesterol and the risk of developing atherosclerosis are reduced.

Research shows that regularly adding a few tablespoons of rice vinegar to food significantly reduces the likelihood of dying from heart disease.

It's important to note that rice vinegar also works on the liver and helps lower blood glucose levels, protecting against diabetes.

Lose weight with rice vinegar!

Rice vinegar affects metabolism, accelerates the digestion of fats and suppresses appetite. It is believed that the low percentage of obesity among the Japanese is due to its regular use. Acetic acid relieves inflammation in the digestive system and supports healthy intestinal motility, preventing constipation.

Vinegar obtained from rice wine or fermented rice.

Kinds

Rice vinegar can be black, red and white.

Black is the most popular rice vinegar in China. It has a thick consistency, dark color and rich taste. It is made from glutinous and long grain rice mixed with barley, wheat and rice hulls. The finest quality black vinegar is made from glutinous rice mixed with water and salt. The mixture is fermented twice and then aged for 6-7 months.

Red Rice Vinegar is obtained from the fermentation of rice treated with red yeast. It has a bright taste with hints of fruit.

White vinegar is made from glutinous rice and has a mild flavor.

Composition

Rice vinegar contains amino acids, vitamins and minerals (calcium, phosphorus, potassium).

Using

The most popular dish that is not complete without rice vinegar is sushi.

Black rice vinegar is ideal for meat and stews. May replace balsamic vinegar.

Red vinegar is most often used for sauces, soups, seafood, noodles. If you add sugar to it, then it will taste like black.

White vinegar is suitable for deep-frying, marinating fish, dressing salads, in particular sunomono.

Rice vinegar is an essential ingredient in Sichuan and Chinese sweet and sour sauces.

Beneficial features

Rice vinegar strengthens the immune system, improves appetite, normalizes hormones and the work of the cardiovascular system.

Restrictions on use

Rice vinegar should be used with caution by people who suffer from diabetes, hypertension, obesity, gastritis with high acidity, kidney disease.

History

Rice vinegar originated in China over 2000 years ago. In neighboring Japan, it began to be used in the 3rd-4th centuries BC. For a long time, the high price of vinegar made it available only to the nobility; it became widespread among wider layers of the population only after the 16th century.

In Japan, the introduction of rice vinegar made the sushi preparation process much easier and faster. The first syllable of the word "sushi" means "vinegar rice".

Initially, sushi was made by slicing raw fish, sprinkling generously with salt and mixing it with rice. The enzymes secreted by the fish led to the production of lactic acid in the rice, which provided the fish with a sour taste and a long shelf life (up to 1 year). Milk fermentation lasted from 2 to 12 months. When rice vinegar was used in the 17th century, sushi preparation time was significantly reduced.

Rice vinegar - application, what can be replaced. Do you like sushi or rolls? Then you probably know what rice vinegar tastes like.

Because this is a must-have ingredient in rice for these Asian treats.

For the sake of truth, it must be said: many of our compatriots do not even know that there is such a type of vinegar, and even more so they have no idea what they eat it with.

But this kind of sauce, or maybe a multi-component spice? for over 2 thousand years!

It was invented, like many other things - by the Chinese, the recipe was adopted from them and slightly improved - by the Japanese, and only then the rice vinegar was tasted by the Europeans.

But first things first: what kind of product is rice vinegar? How can you use it? And are there less exotic flavor alternatives?

What is Rice Vinegar

It would be wrong on our part to assert that rice vinegar definitely appeared there and there, to describe the “exact” recipe for its preparation and, in principle, to say something with conviction about it.

You can only mention well-known facts without claiming their reliability, because the product is more than 20 centuries old.

It was invented by people of a different culture, living many thousands of kilometers from our latitudes, and the authors probably forgot to leave the exact recipe of rice vinegar carved in marble.

Therefore, we will only describe what is collected from various sources by experts and lovers of Asian cuisine.

So, there is an opinion that rice vinegar was invented in China, and then it was popularized in Japan as a preservative, and also a flavor enhancer and marinade for sushi and rolls.

Today he used as an exquisite dressing for any dishes from vegetables, meat, fish... Rice vinegar is most likely the result of a special long-term fermentation of rice grains.

Due to the complexity of the cooking technology, rice vinegar is an expensive product.

It is rarely found on the shelves of even large supermarkets, which is the reason that today there are several options for rice vinegar substitutes that can be easily prepared from the local store range.

In countries where rice vinegar is produced, a distinction is made between three types of seasoning: white, red and black... The grading principle is simple: the darker the color, the richer the taste.

White is the lightest, suitable for appetizers and salads, red (the color is achieved by adding red yeast) - for making sauces and as a seasoning for seafood, black is an excellent marinade for meat and fish.

The benefits and harms of rice vinegar

The chemical composition of rice vinegar is rich and unique, thanks to this, vinegar is a product that is uniquely beneficial for human health.

1. An excellent source of essential amino acids (there are more than 20 of them!), Which are responsible for the production and maintenance of energy in the human body; there are also many organic acids.

2. Launches the processes of external and internal regeneration.

3. Contains a lot of potassium, calcium, phosphorus - substances that strengthen bone tissue, regulate hydrobalance, and improve metabolism.

4. Reduces the calorie content of dishes without compromising their taste.

5. With regular use, it maintains the elasticity of blood vessels, prevents the deposition of cholesterol plaques on their walls.

6. Does not irritate the gastric mucosa, it is allowed in the diet of patients with ulcers and gastritis.

7. Inhibits aging of organs and systems.

The harm is expected from synthetic rice vinegar or a cheap substitute. Also rice vinegar is not recommended for people who have diabetes.

How to make rice vinegar

There is a variation on the theme of making rice vinegar, and experts say that the end result is a product that tastes the same as the original one brought from Japan or China.

To get rice vinegar at home, you need to take: white round unpolished rice, dry yeast, sugar, optional - egg white.

1. First you need to pour the rice into a container and pour it with clean unboiled water so that it covers the cereal completely.

2. Hold the rice in water under a lid in a warm place for about 4 hours, and then put it in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours (preferably overnight).

3. After the specified time has elapsed, filter the rice water, do not squeeze the thick.

4. Take 250 ml of filtered rice liquid and mix with ½ cup of sugar, stir until the latter is completely dissolved, hold the resulting composition in a water bath for a quarter of an hour - up to 20 minutes, pour into a liter jar and let cool.

5. Pour ¼ a tablespoon of dry yeast into the resulting rice syrup, ferment the sourdough for 5-7 days.

6. After the foam and bubbles disappear, filter the composition through several layers of cheesecloth and pour into a clean jar, in which the future vinegar should be infused and fermented for 30-35 days.

7. After the indicated time, carry out the next filtration, then boil the mixture (during boiling, you can draw the precipitate with egg white so that the finished vinegar becomes transparent).

8. Cool, bottle and seal, leave for another month in a cool dark place, after which you can taste!

What can replace rice vinegar

Grape alternative

One of the popular alternative recipes is an analogue of grape-based rice vinegar.

Take 8 tablespoons of grape vinegar (you can homemade), add 2 teaspoons of salt (no top), and 6 teaspoons of sugar (you can top it).

Put the mixture on the stove and heat, but do not boil, until all the crystals dissolve.

Apple alternative

Sweeten two tablespoons with two teaspoons of sugar, salt with one teaspoon of salt, dilute all with three tablespoons of boiling water.

This seasoning is suitable for rice, from which you plan to prepare sushi.

Soy alternative

For 100 ml of traditional soy sauce, you need 100 ml of simple 6% vinegar, 40 g of granulated sugar.

Stir everything until the sugar is completely dissolved.