What Is Brown rice vinegar and How Can I Use It?
Wondering what to do with brown rice vinegar? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it, plus 15 recipes to put it to work.
Key Points
- Rice vinegar made from unpolished brown rice, so it tastes nuttier and fuller than white.
- Still mild at about 4 to 5 percent acidity; seasons without the bite of distilled white.
- The extra body holds up in marinades and earthy grain dishes where thin vinegar vanishes.
- Swap plain white rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar; keeps for years in a dark cupboard.
What is brown rice vinegar?
Brown rice vinegar is rice vinegar made from unpolished brown rice instead of milled white rice. Leaving the bran and germ on the grain gives the finished vinegar a deeper amber color and a nuttier, fuller flavor than the clear white version.
It still sits at the gentle end of the shelf, around 4 to 5 percent acidity, so it seasons without the harsh bite of distilled white. For everything else about how rice vinegar behaves, see the main rice vinegar page; this is just the wholegrain branch of it.
Where the Nuttiness Helps
The extra body is most useful where the vinegar has to stand up to other strong flavors rather than disappear into a dressing.
It works well in miso and ginger marinades like Miso Marinade, and in earthy grain dishes such as Quinoa with Shiitake Gravy and Quinoa Casserole, where a thin white vinegar would get lost. A splash also rounds out a quick stir-fry sauce in something like Quick Stir-Fry.
As with any rice vinegar, add it late. The aroma is delicate and a long simmer cooks the brightness off.
Swaps and Storage
Plain white rice vinegar is the obvious stand-in; you lose a little of the nutty depth but the acidity is the same. Apple cider vinegar also works and brings its own fruitiness.
Store it sealed in a cool, dark cupboard, where it keeps for years. A little cloudiness or sediment is normal brewing residue, not spoilage.
Quick facts
- In Chinese
- 糙米醋
- British (UK) term
- Brown rice vinegar
- en français
- vinaigre de riz brun
- en español
- vinagre de arroz integral
Recipes using brown rice vinegar
There are 15 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Beets & Onions Vinaigrette
A simple yet tasty and healthy beet salad. thinly sliced onions are tempered in boiling water then marinated with the beets in extra virgin olive oil and vinegar.
Quinoa Casserole
Quinoa has become one of the healthiest foods. It's high in fiber and packed with protein, it's not a grain but a seed. We have been making all kinds of quinoa recipes, made this casserole for dinner yesterday, and it was delicious.
Quinoa with Shiitake Gravy
Quinoa with shiitake gravy: dried shiitakes simmered with their soaking liquid and shoyu, thickened with kudzu into a clear, silky glaze. Vegan, 84 calories per serving, ready in an hour.
Spicy Thai Salad
Spicy Thai cold pasta salad with red and green bell peppers, scallions, and toasted black sesame seeds in a hot sesame oil, brown rice vinegar, and mirin dressing. A fast vegetarian potluck salad served chilled.
Miso Marinade
Simple miso marinade with organic miso paste, garlic, ginger, and brown rice vinegar. A five-ingredient Japanese-inspired marinade for fish and vegetables, ready in 5 minutes.
Picante' Red Sauce
Picante red sauce blended from roasted red bell pepper, diced tomatoes with green chiles, soy sauce, umeboshi vinegar, and basil. A smoky, tangy all-purpose sauce for pasta, stuffed peppers, or cabbage rolls.
Sliced Pork with Wood Ear Fungus
A delicious Chinese stir-fry is perfect for a busy work-day dinner.
Grilled Asparagus & Portobellos with Shallot & Ginger Dressing
This nutrient-packed side dish is perfect alongside any main dish - fish, meat or poultry.
Hot Thai Salad
Spicy Thai-inspired soba noodle salad with bell peppers, scallions, and sesame seeds in a hot sesame oil and rice vinegar dressing. Served cold and full of crunch.
Deconstructed Sushi Bowl with Black Sesame Dressing
A vegetarian take on sushi – a one bowl meal, which can be made in advance, keeps well in the fridge and makes for a great lunchbox. If you are going to make it ahead, store the dressing separately until you are ready to serve.
Japanese Noodle Soup
Japanese noodle soup with shiitake mushrooms, snow peas, red pepper, and rice noodles in a hot sesame broth, finished with ginger, brown rice vinegar, and roasted cashews. A vegetarian, low-fat Asian soup ready in 45 minutes.
Apricot Turkey
Marinated turkey breast cubes browned and baked in a sweet-tangy sauce with dried apricots, ginger, and fresh cilantro.
Sweet & Sour Pasta Salad
Vegetarian sweet and sour pasta salad with kamut spirals, kidney beans, black beans, and red bell pepper tossed in a tangy shoyu-barley malt dressing. Protein-packed and potluck-ready.
Lime Vinaigrette
Tangy lime vinaigrette with fresh lime juice, olive oil, brown rice vinegar, plum vinegar, garlic, fresh basil, and dill. A bright, herbaceous dressing with Japanese-inspired depth.
