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Vinegar got its name from the French word ‘vinaigre’, meaning sour wine. Its discovery is believed to be accidental ten thousand years ago when a cask of wine turned sour after being left for a long time. Since then vinegar has been produced from a variety of items – dates, molasses, melons, honey, beer, maple, malt, grains, berries, etc.
What is Vinegar?
Vinegar is a sour liquid obtained from turning natural sugars to alcohol and then into acetic acid by the action of bacteria. It is the fermentation of acid that helps in the formation of vinegar. It is the presence of various compounds and vitamins (vitamin B1, riboflavin, etc) that gives vinegar its distinctive flavor.
History of Vinegar
The story goes that it was Babylonians (5000 B.C.) who first used vinegar as a condiment and preservative. They were also the first who experimented flavoring vinegar with different types of spices and herbs. Greeks also made pickled meats or vegetables with vinegar. Hippocrates, the famous Greek physician, was aware of the soothing property of vinegar and used it for wound healing. It is said that the famous beauty, Cleopatra, dissolved precious pearls in vinegar to prove that she could digest ‘fortunes’ in a meal!
Types of Vinegar
Since vinegar is obtained from anything that has natural sugar in it, different countries produce different types of vinegar.
Listed below are some popular types of vinegar:
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Balsamic Vinegar:
It has a thick sweet flavor. Special Trebbiano grapes grown in Modena, Italy is commonly used to make balsamic vinegar.
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Apple Cider Vinegar:
The famous apple cider vinegar or cider vinegar is obtained from two-stage fermentation of apple juices. It is a yellowish brown liquid. Due to its high acid content the cider vinegar is often diluted with honey, fruit juice or water, otherwise, it can burn the throat.
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Cane Vinegar:
This mild vinegar is made from fermenting sugarcane and is used mainly in Philippine cooking.
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