Among Indian vinegars the most interesting by far is the dark and complex tasting barrel matured sugar-cane vinegar made by E.F.Kolah & Sons of Navsari since 1885. Parsis are the other Indian community to use vinegar in their cooking, perhaps a link to the many sour flavours of Persian cooking, and Kolah’s is their vinegar of choice.
Outside Navsari it is sold in sachets with an appealing old fashioned label and I often take sachets as a gift for foodie friends outside Mumbai.
Fabindia has two coconut water vinegars in its range of organic foods. The distilled white vinegar has a nice sweetish taste, while the brewed brown vinegar is more medicinal tasting.
For an extended article on Indian Vinegars…continue here.