Korean Vinegars
식초sik-cho
Brown rice, persimmon and fruit vinegars for dressings and pickles
Vinegar (sikcho) is the quiet workhorse of Korean side dishes: it brightens cold noodles, dressings and dipping sauces, and it is the base of every quick pickle. Many recipes in this collection lean on vinegar to make dishes taste vivid with less salt.
- Korean name
- 식초 (sik-cho)
- What it is
- Brown rice, persimmon and fruit vinegars for dressings and pickles
- Storage
- Keep tightly closed in a cool, dark place.
- Substitute
- Rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar replace Korean vinegar in almost any recipe.
- Recipes
- Used in 156 recipes on coo K food
Types of Korean vinegar
Everyday brewed vinegar (yangjo sikcho) is made from grains or apples. Brown rice vinegar (hyeonmi sikcho) is mellow and rounded, persimmon vinegar (gam sikcho) is a traditional, fruity vinegar from fermented persimmons, and drinking vinegars (hongcho) — sweetened fruit vinegars of pomegranate, blueberry or grape — are diluted with water as a drink but also make lovely dressings.
How it is used
Vinegar seasons cho-gochujang (spicy vinegar gochujang), the dipping sauce for pancakes and dumplings, cold noodles (naengmyeon is served with vinegar and mustard at the table), cucumber and radish salads, and soy-sauce pickles (jangajji). Acidity sharpens the perception of saltiness, which is why a splash of vinegar lets you use less salt.
🧊 How to store it
Keep tightly closed in a cool, dark place. Vinegar keeps almost indefinitely; fruit vinegars taste best within a year.
🔄 Substitutes
Rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar replace Korean vinegar in almost any recipe. For hongcho, mix a little fruit juice into rice vinegar.
🛒 Where to buy
Look for it at Korean or pan-Asian grocery stores such as H Mart, or order it online — it keeps well, so it is easy to stock up.
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