Beyond Seasoning

Though not as omnipresent as soy sauce， vinegar

S three spoonfuls，to the astonishment of neighboring diners.”This idiosyncratic scene may sound like a jokewithouta punchline，but it actually comes from renowned 2Oth-century food writer Wang Zengqi's （汪曾祺）essay“The Five Flavors.”Far from literary exaggeration， it captures the authentic culinary habits of people from Shanxi province， where vinegarhas transcended itsroleasa mere condiment to become a culinary cornerstone that flows through locals'veins.

Indeed，an official survey conducted in 1978 across fivenorthern Chinesecitiesrevealeda striking statistic： the average resident of Taiyuan， Shanxi's capital， consumed approximately nine liters of vinegar annually， nearly double that of those in Inner Mongolia’s Hohhot， the runner-up. In 2024，when cultural tourism bureaus nationwide intensified efforts to promote theirlocal attractions viasocialmedia，Taiyuan'stourismbureaudirector tookanunusual approach：heraisedabowl of vinegaroncameraanddeclared，“TodayIinvite you all to drink vinegar with me！”before downing it in one go. The video went viral， receiving over 10 million views and introducing Shanxi's distinctive vinegar culture to audiences all over the country.

\"In Shanxi， adding vinegar to noodles is standard practice，and drinking vinegar before mealsmight bealocal customin some areas，”says Da He， TWOC's graphic designer and Shanxi native.“WhenI was a child， my mom would mix vinegarwithsugarwater，chillit，and serve itasa summerdrink.\"

“Personally， I find even plain white rice with Shanxi vinegar delicious-no side dishes necessary. But it's got to be Shanxi vinegar，”DaHe adds.

Situatedalong themiddlereaches of theYellow Riverin the easternLoessPlateau，Shanxi's semiaridclimateandalkalinesoilmakeitidealfor cultivating hardy crops like sorghum and millet， which in turn support vinegar production.Unlike fruit-derived vinegars popular in the West， China's traditional varieties have primarily been produced

InShanxivinegasaespakinptotCeseNeweasoalstocuriosoainerstoepreforthsial

IneverydayChinesecusine，vinegarisn'tjustfordippingdumplings，baozi，orsteamedseafood，it'salsoa staple seasoningin dishes likesweetandsour ribs [VCG]

\"Shanxi vinegar is like fine wine-the longer it ages， the richer its flavor becomes.\"

fromsuch grains.Shanxi'saged vinegar， for instance，isbrewed fromsorghum，whileJiangsu province's Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar uses glutinousrice.

“Shanxi vinegar is like fine wine—the longer it ages，the richer its flavor becomes，”DaHe says. \"It has a deep， soy sauce-like color and a complex fermented acidity that stimulates the appetite.Its tasteis multilayered; unlike most other vinegars that seem like mere sour flavorings-pale in color and justone-dimensionallytart.\"DaHeadmits his vinegar standards are uncompromising： it mustbe Shanxi-made.Even thoughhe lives in Beijing，he only buys Shanxi vinegar and refuses touse varieties servedinrestaurantsordelivered with meals because，in his words，that vinegar is \"not like vinegar at all.\"

Ancientfermentations

Chinese vinegar has a long history dating back to atleast the Zhou dynasty （1046-256 BCE）. Back then，it was so important that the classic text Rites ofZhou （《周禮》） describeshowthe Zhou court appointeda specialized official，knownas the“xiren （醯人）”—xibeing the ancient term forvinegar to oversee vinegar supplies.Foods preserved in vinegarheld ceremonial importance and were served at state sacrifices，court banquets，and importantfeasts—markingitasaculturalemblem outside of itsrole formere sustenance.To this day， Shanxi natives are affectionately nicknamed \"laoxir（老醯兒）.”

The exact origins of vinegar are not found in historical texts，but many folktales have been told about its possible invention.One legend credits Hei Ta （黑塔）， son of the mythical winemaker Du Kang（杜康），with discovering it accidentally while learning to fermentwine.After over-fermenting abatch for21 days，he found that ithad turned pleasantlysourand fragrant.Mythhasitthathe named the resulting liquid after the time he opened it：“cu （醋），”combining the characters for“21 [days] （廿—）”and“酉，”a reference to the10th

of the 12 two-hour periods that make up China's traditional timekeeping system.

Another taleinvolvesKing Zhou of the Shang dynasty 1600-1046 BCE），who sought a medicinal wine made from sorghum and spring water for hisailing concubine，Daji. Officials from Jinyang （present-day Taiyuan）hoped toappease his search with their own sorghum concoction tribute， butit spoiled during the long journey to the capital， in present-dayHenan.Expecting punishment， the desperatebrewers tasted the drink，only to discover it was，in fact， delicious.Upon presentation to the emperor， the brew unexpectedly won his delight， and when Daji asked its name，an attending official blurted out“稀（xi），\"orrare，which the court scribe formally recorded as“醯.”

While these folk talesmay lack historical credibility， theyhighlight the crucial fermentation process that underpins vinegar-making： leaving alcohol to undergo a second fermentation， knownasaceticacid fermentation.By theHan dynasty （206 BCE-220 CE）， vinegar production techniqueshadalreadyreached considerable sophistication.The Eastern-Hanagricultural collectionMonthlyInstructionsforFourClassesof

People （《四民月令》） evenspecifiestheideal time to makeit：“Thefourth day of the fourth month for fermented sauces，the fifth day of the fifth month for vinegar.\"

During the Southern and Northern dynasties （420-589），vinegarcraftsmanshipreached new heights，with the agrarian encyclopedia Essential TechniquesfortheCommonPeople（《齊民要術》of the time documenting over 2O vinegar-making techniques.One method，known as the“glutinous millet vinegar process，” instructs：“Collect the clear liquid inAugust， store it in separate jars sealed with mud-covered lids-it can be preserved for years.”This ancient method is nearly identical to today's traditional vinegar-producing technique in Qingxu， Shanxi.

During the Tang（618 -907）and Song （960-1279）dynasties，vinegarhadbecomean indispensable condiment.The Southern Song memoirARecordoftheMilletDream（lt;夢梁錄》） was the originator of the famous line：“The daily necessities no family can do withoutare firewood， rice，oil，salt， sauce，vinegar，and tea.\"These items laterbecame shorthand for the mundane aspects of daily life.

It was also during this period that vinegar became deeply embedded in everyday language. Many expressions that we use today to describe jealousyare related to vinegar， such as“eating vinegar（吃醋），”“a vinegar-fueled temper（醋勁 兒），”and“to knock over the vinegarjar（打翻了 醋壇子）.\"In fact，these all originate froma Tangdynasty story noted in Anecdotes of the Sui and Tang Dynasties（《隋唐嘉話》）.Thestorydescribeshow esteemed chancellor Fang Xuanling（房玄齡）， renowned forhishardworkbutoftenbrowbeaten athome byhis wife，was once offered two beautifu concubinesbyEmperor Taizongasareward for hisservice.Unsurprisingly， his wife vehemently

objected to the gift.So the emperor， determined to do right byhis loyal servant， presented her with an ultimatum—either drink a cup of poison or accept the concubines.Without hesitation，Lady Fang drank the cup's contents，only to find herself still alive.Impressed byher resolve，the emperor withdrew his offer. The“poison” she consumed was later believed to be strong vinegar，which is how \"eating vinegar” became a metaphor for jealousy.

Beyond romantic jealousy，vinegarhasalso inspired othercolorful Chinese expressions.For example，“halfabottle ofvinegar（半瓶醋）”refers to someone with superficial knowledge，while“sour scholar （酸子）”describes rigid，bookish typeswho cling stubbornly to conventions.

Starting around the Ming dynasty （1368-1644）， Chinawitnessedaremarkablediversification of vinegar varieties.Li Shizhen's （李時珍） monumental Compendium ofMateria Medica （《本 草綱目》 mentions numerous types，including rice vinegar， glutinous rice vinegar， millet vinegar， wheat vinegar，and barley vinegar，reflecting the growing sophistication of vinegar production across different regions.From these，each area gradually developed its own distinctive flavors.Li also documented vinegar'snumerous purported medicinal applications， including treating jaundice， nourishing the liver，and stimulating appetite.

Vinegar in the modern age

During the Republic of China （1912-1949）， FangXinfang（方心芳），aprominentChinese microbiologist，published his authoritative work， Shanxi Vinegar，inwhichhe identified vinegars from both Shanxi and Zhenjiang， Jiangsu province as China's finest.However，Shanxi's product received slight precedence and carries the prestigious moniker of“China's No.1 vinegar”to this day.

Of course， that’s not to say they're the only ones. Sichuan's Baoning vinegar， which stands out for its unique fermentation process using wheat bran and preciousmedicinal starters，and Fujian's Yongchun aged vinegar，distinguished forits elaborate recipe involving premium glutinousrice，red yeast，and sesame， both also hold canonical status among connoisseursand common householdsalike.

On social media， vinegar is widely promoted for its benefits related to everything， from Weight loss to blood pressure reduction to skin whiteningdespite limited evidence to substantiate theseclaims.

Together， these four varieties are revered as China's “Four Great Vinegars.”

Many classic dishes centered around vinegar havealso been created.Foremostare those thatuse the“vinegar-sauté（醋溜）” technique，whose essence lies in adding vinegar along the wok's edge just prior to serving. This stir-fry method allows the vinegar to integrate with the ingredients at the final stage of cooking，creatinga tangy， sweet， garlickyaroma.

Another cornerstone is‘sweet and sour（糖醋），” which emphasizesa golden ratio between sugar and vinegar. Typically， ingredients like meat， fish，orroot vegetablesare firstfrieduntil crisp，thencoated in

asweet-sour glaze that gives thema lustrous red sheen.Representativedishes includesweetand sour porkandsweetandsourspareribs.Theiraddictive flavorsand vibrantcolorshavemade this technique popularacross regional cuisines and the world.

Inrecent years，vinegarhas come to be valued notonlyasaculinarystaplebut，onceagain，forits allegedhealthbenefits.Themarketisnowawash withvinegar-based“health products\"：functional vinegar beveragesblended with fruit juices，vinegar capsules containing dried，aged vinegar powder， and concentrated vinegar extract via sun-drying processes. On social media， vinegar is widely promoted for its benefits related to everything， from weightloss toblood pressure reductionto skin whitening—despite limited evidence to substantiate these claims.

On the opposite side of the spectrum，it's fast food purveyors that are proving to be most creative when it comes to reinventing vinegar for the modernage.Just thisAugust，KFC madewaves nationwidebyintroducing“Shanxi VinegarDuo Combo，”comprising vinegar-infused chicken nuggetswitha palate-jolting sparkling vinegar Americano.This just goes to prove，when it comes to vinegar， the possibilities are truly endless—and may only grow more popular with time.