This is a bundle set of the two types of rice vinegar we source from Wu Yin: Seasoned Rice Vinegar and Taiwanese Black Vinegar. Seasoned Rice Vinegar is good for general purpose use from dumpling sauces to sushi, to salad dressing. Taiwanese Black Vinegar is one of the most familiar and elusive flavors in Taiwanese cuisine: use it for dipping soup dumplings or making traditional Taiwanese dishes. You can use it anywhere you’d use Worcestershire sauce, too; it’s closely related.

Where It’s Made

Gao Ji Wu Yin Vinegar 高記五印醋 is a Taiwanese vinegar producer that was founded in 1903. Now run by the fourth generation, it’s one of the longest operating vinegar fermenters in Taiwan; their product is used by some of the oldest and most well known eateries. The beloved noodle shop Di Xiao Yue 台南度小月擔仔麵 in Tainan uses Wu Yin Vinegar in their Dan Zai Mian, one of Taiwan’s most iconic street foods. Din Tai Fung used it back in their mom-and-pop days on Yongkang street, too.

A defining characteristic of Wu Yin vinegars (other than the top-notch flavor, complexity, and mouthfeel) is the use of sprouted wheatgrass in the fermentation process. Enzymes from the wheatgrass catalyze the conversion of rice into alcohol, a traditional way of making vinegar that’s related to, but not exactly the same, as using malted grain.

How It’s Made

This is how the vinegar is produced: first, steamed glutinous rice (taiwan grown!), wheatgrass, and water are mixed into a mash. The wheatgrass is sprouted in-house two weeks before and is pricked out, wheatberry at all, before mixing with the rice. The mash ferments anaerobically for two weeks, while the wheatgrass enzymes and naturally-occuring yeast convert the starches into alcohol. Just as red wine is the precursor to red wine vinegar, this boozy mash gives way to rice vinegar.

The next step in vinegar-making is converting the alcohol into acetic acid. The liquids are moved into a new terracotta vat, a starter culture of acetic acid bacteria is introduced, and the brew ferments for 8 months, until no alcohol remains. Wu Yin has been using the same bacteria culture for over 100 years; it’s transferred from one batch of vinegar to the next. It’s also present in the pores of the terracotta vessels.

Wu Yin makes all its vinegars this way. After fermentation is complete, the vinegars are processed into a wide range of vinegar products, from drinking vinegars to Taiwanese black vinegar. To make the classic seasoned rice vinegar 五印米醋, the brew is simply salted. A Chinese-style black vinegar is produced by adding caramel color (made literally by caramelizing sugar) and licorice extract.

Making Taiwanese black vinegar, which has its roots in Worcestershire sauce in addition to vinegar making, is a bit more complex. Ume plums, green Taiwan lemons, and pomelo are matured separately for a year, each in its own vat of Wu Yin vinegar. Then, the fruit vinegars, black vinegar, and white vinegar are mixed together and seasoned according to a heritage recipe.

Tasting Notes and Usage

white vinegar: champagne, malt, 4.5% acidity
black vinegar: plum, molasses, lemon drop, 3.1% acidity

Ingredients and Instructions

white vinegar: water, glutinous rice, wheat, salt

black vinegar: water, glutinous rice, wheat, plum, lemon, pomelo, sugar, salt, caramel (sugar), licorice extract

230 ml each

About Gao Ji Wu Yin Vinegar

Gao Ji Wu Yin Vinegar 高記五印醋 is a Taiwanese vinegar producer that was founded in 1903. Now run by the fourth generation, it’s one of the longest operating vinegar fermenters in Taiwan. Wu Yin Vinegar 五印醋 translates to Five Chop Vinegar, named after the 5 red labels attached to their vinegar vats in the old days.