Vinegar
Vinegar is an acidic liquid processed from the fermentation of ethanol in a process that yields its key ingredient, acetic acid (also called ethanoic acid). It also may come in a diluted form. The acetic acid concentration typically ranges from 4 to 8 percent by volume for table vinegar (typically 5%) and higher concentrations for pickling (up to 18%). Natural vinegars also contain small amounts of tartaric acid, citric acid, and other acids. Vinegar has been used since ancient times and is an important element in European, Asian, and other traditional cuisines of the world.
The word “vinegar” derives from the Old French vin aigre, meaning “sour wine”. It is also known as acidity regulator E260.
Vinegar has been made and used by people for thousands of years. Traces of it have been found in Egyptian urns dating from around 3000 BC. According to Chinese classic Shennong’s Herb Classic, Chinese vinegar was invented at the time of Xia Dynasty, around 2000BC.
In the Bible, it is mentioned as something not very pleasant (Ps. 69:21, Prov. 25:20), but Boaz allows Ruth to “dip her piece of bread in the vinegar” (Ruth 2:14). Jesus was offered vinegar or sour wine while on the cross (Matthew 27:48; Mark 15:36). In Islamic traditions, vinegar is one of the four favored condiments of the Prophet Muhammad, who called it a “blessed seasoning”.
Louis Pasteur showed in 1864, that vinegar results from a natural fermentation process.
