made from fermented rice. The taste is less tart than some other vinegars like white wine vinegar, and a little less sweet than our beloved salad perfecter, balsamic. They describe the flavor, in fact, as "sweet and smoky," but add to that a delish "touch of umami richness." As taste goes, the longer black vinegar is aged and left to sit, the better, since aging makes the vinegar flavor more complex and multi-layered.