FOOD NEWS
The Reason Cane Vinegar Deserves A Spot In Your Pantry
BY HOPE NGO
Cane vinegar is one of the Philippines’ most important agricultural and culinary products. It can season dishes, serve as a dipping sauce, and help preserve perishable foods.
Cane vinegar or sukang maasim (which translates to "sour vinegar") is made by crushing sugar cane, extracting its syrup, and adding a fermentation agent to create a vinegar.
The vinegar has a mild, mellow tartness, and it works well in recipes that require a neutral acidic ingredient, including sauces, meat marinades, and even desserts.
There's also a bolder version of cane vinegar known as sukang Iloco (vinegar from Ilocos), which has its own distinct flavor profile and is also useful to keep in your pantry.
Cane vinegar is similar to white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, and rice vinegar in terms of intensity and flavor, so it can be used interchangeably across different cuisines.
Sukang lloco is typically used with richer, more savory meals where sukang maasim wouldn't be able to stand out, such as longganisa, a Filipino breakfast sausage, or empanadas.
You can also use cane vinegar to make salad dressings, the same way you'd use wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar. It's a worthwhile pantry addition that can kick up most any recipe.