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Fermentation Atlas

Vinegar from Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China

Zhenjiang (Chinkiang) aromatic vinegar镇江香醋

Black, aromatic, slightly sweet vinegar; about 90 days from rice to bottle for the samples Fan et al. studied. Made in 5 steps over 4.3 months – 5.1 years. The longest step, age, takes 3 months – 5 years (Fan J. et al. 2011). Acetobacter and Lactobacillus do most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step3 months – 5 yearsReported[fan2011][zhwp-zhenjiang-vinegar]Age
Temperature34–46 °CMeasured[wang2016]Solid-state layered acetic fermentation (gutai fenceng fajiao) with bran and husk, adding layers upward and turning (fanpei)
DocumentedVinegar4.3 months – 5.1 yearsMore vinegarMore from China

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceShares of the raw material for Hengshun vinegar (Fan et al. 2011, Table 1).
30 %Rice[fan2011]
40 %Wheat bran[fan2011]
28 %Rice hulls[fan2011]
2 %Wheat koji (Rhizopus)[fan2011]
Starterkoji/qu/mold-starter (wheat qu + xiaoqu) + back-slopped acetic grains

Total time across the recorded steps: 4.3 months – 5.1 years

Start
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AlcoholAcetic acidshapes, not to countAcetobacterLactobacillusGluconacetobacterLactococcus

What changes: Qu turns glutinous rice into a rice wine mash

Step 1 of 5
Brew glutinous rice into rice wine with qu
Time
14 days
Typical
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Acetobacter
Lactobacillus
Gluconacetobacter
Lactococcus

Saccharification and alcoholic fermentation run in liquid state; only the acetic stage is solid. Output: rice wine mash.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source