Some Facts about Vinegar

The name vinegar comes to us from the French, “vin aigre,” literally meaning sour wine. Vinegar is a solution of acetic acid and chemicals that may include flavorings. Vinegar contains around 5-8% acetic acid by volume. The fermentation of ethanol or sugars produces acetic acid by bacteria. There are various kinds of vinegar, depending on the type of sources used for its fermentation. Vinegar is now mainy used in cooking as a sour addition to food dishes or for pickling vegetables. Oil and vinegar combo is a popular dressing for salads.

Historically, vinegar was used as a cleaning product in households and factories due to its acidic and bacteria-defeating nature. The first documented evidence of vinegar and its uses was by the ancient Babylonians around 3000 B.C. They made vinegar from figs and dates and primarily used it for medicinal and cooking purposes.

In East Asia, the Zhao Dynasty in China (1000-700 B.C) mastered the production of vinegar, and noble households were famously known for having a vinegar maker to make this substance for culinary and health purposes. Balsamic vinegar also began its development in the Duchy of Modena in Italy though it became widely known until the Napoleonic Wars after being sold abroad by French troops. Karl Sebastian Schüzenbach invented the first large-scale industrial process for vinegar production in the Kingdom of Baden in 1823.

Commercial vinegar is produced either by a fast or a slow fermentation process. The slow methods are used in traditional kinds of vinegar, where fermentation proceeds over the course of a few months to a year. In fast production processes, vinegar may be produced in one to three days.

Vinegar can be made from many different sources, including grapes, apples and other fruits. It can also be made from coconut, cane juice, various grains like rice, wheat, and millet, and also from spirits. Vinegar from different sources has different properties, taste, and applications.

Author: Amita Vadlamudi