Hengshun Zhenjiang Handcrafted Vinegar, 6 Year (Chinkiang Black Vinegar)

  Zhenjiang vinegar is one of China’s Four Famous Vinegars—along with Sichuan Baoning, Shanxi mature vinegar and Fujian’s Yongchun red vinegar—and the most well-known of the four outside China. It’s from Zhenjiang city—formerly romanized as Chinkiang—in the eastern province of Jiangsu, which is not far from Shanghai. The vinegar is still often called Chinkiang in the West. Hengshun, established in 1840, is the major producer of Zhenjiang vinegar, having won numerous brand awards in China over the years. Its vinegar is all natural, fermented from glutinous rice and wheat bran, and goes through a 50-day, 40-step process before it is aged in earthenware crocks for at least half a year for the supermarket version and much longer for premium versions—specifically 6 years for this one. The label describes it as "sour but not astringent, fragrant and slightly sweet, dark and delicious." We agree! It is indeed dark and full-bodied, looking a bit like balsamic vinegar, though it does not taste