Rice wine and rice vinegar are often next to each other on store shelves and are both made from fermented rice, but they taste different due to how they are made.

Rice wine is made with regular or glutinous rice. It’s fermented with yeast, fungi, and lactic acid bacteria to turn sugar in the rice into alcohol — approximately 18% to 25% ABV.

Similarly, rice vinegar uses yeast to turn the sugar in the rice into alcohol, but the fermentation process continues until the mixture turns from alcohol into acetic acid.

Rice wine can be used for drinking or cooking. It has a sweet, mild flavor and is usually heated to evaporate the alcohol in it when used in recipes.

Rice vinegar comes in white, red, and black and has a delicate, sweet flavor that’s less acidic than white wine vinegar. It’s what gives sushi its tangy taste.

Rice wine vinegar is the key acidity element for Asian-inspired marinades, sauces, salad dressing, and can also be used to pickle vegetables.