Yes, the Chenkiang black vinegar is what I was referring to. There are some others I tried in the beginning, when I was experimenting with all the different ingredients out there, including a red vinegar (a rice vinegar, which had food color in it), but none had the same complex flavor.
That's why I tried so many brands, in my early days of experimenting with Chinese food! Those two on that link, plus a few others, and the Chenkiang vinegar, which was definitely the best one. Some didn't even have any of the flavor of the rice vinegar. That's what first got me interested in it - some Japanese rice wine vinegar I had gotten in a co-op I was in, which was mild, but a unique flavor.There are different regional varieties of black vinegar.
Black Vinegar Doesn't Just Season a Dish–It Transforms It
It's umami in a bottle, baby.www.bonappetit.com
