A large clay vat holds black vinegar, a big wooden ladle pours it into a small blue-and-white bowl, a plate of dumplings with scallion and a plate of dressed cucumber sit beside it, and a cloth-covered jar stands behind.
Vinegars brewed from grain or fruit, made by solid-state or liquid fermentation.
Zhenjiang vinegar appears in the Suiyuan Shidan, and its brewing craft is in the first batch of the national intangible heritage list.
The Suiyuan Shidan (Recipes from the Sui Garden), published in 1792, the 57th year of the Qianlong reign, mentions Zhenjiang vinegar in its note on seasonings and says that its colour is good but its sourness is not strong. The craft of brewing Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar was added to the first batch of the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006, under the name "Zhenjiang Hengshun Aromatic Vinegar Brewing Techniques". Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar also has a current national standard, Product of Geographical Indication: Zhenjiang Aromatic Vinegar, issued on 12 May 2011 and in effect from 1 November of that year.