The prairies are large producers of ethanol in Canada and as a direct result we make a lot of vinegar. It's history goes a long way back and has both Muslim and Christian roots.
Vinegar has been made and used for thousands of years. According to
Shennong's
Herb Classic, vinegar was invented in
China during the
Xia Dynasty, around
2000 BC. Though, traces of it have been found in
Egyptian urns dating from around
3000 BC.
In the
Tanakh and the
Old Testament of the
Bible, it is mentioned as unpleasant to drink (
Ps. 69:21) and foolish to combine with
nether (most likely
soda ash, although possibly
potash,
natron, or
niter) (
Prov. 25:20), but more favorably as a condiment when
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".
[5]
In
1864,
Louis Pasteur showed that vinegar results from a natural
fermentation process.
Production and microbiology
Vinegar is made from the
fermentation of a variety of sources mainly containing
carbohydrates and
sugars.
Ethanol is first produced as a result of fermentation of sugars, ethanol is then oxidized to acetic acid by the
acetic acid bacteria (AAB). The ethanol may be derived from many different sources, including
wine,
cider,
beer, or fermented
fruit juice, or it may be made synthetically from
natural gas and
petroleum derivatives.
[6]
Aeration is a crucial step in the fermentation process. Excess air can ruin the product by complete
oxidation of carbohydrates to
CO2 by
yeast and other
aerobic bacteria, while on the other hand, too little air will lead to high concentrations of
alcohol resulting in the death of the acetic acid bacteria.
Commercial vinegar is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes. Slow methods generally are used with traditional vinegars, and fermentation proceeds slowly over the course of weeks or months. The longer fermentation period allows for the accumulation of a nontoxic slime composed of acetic acid bacteria and soluble
cellulose, known as
mother of vinegar.
Fast methods add mother of vinegar (i.e.,
bacterial culture) to the source liquid before adding air using a
venturi pump system or a
turbine to promote
oxygenation to obtain the fastest fermentation. In fast production processes, vinegar may be produced in a period ranging from 20 hours to three days.
Varieties
Malt
Malt vinegar is made by
malting barley, causing the
starch in the grain to turn to
maltose. Then an
ale is
brewed from the maltose and allowed to turn into vinegar, which is then aged. It is typically light brown in color.
In the
United Kingdom, salt and malt vinegar is a traditional seasoning for
chips and
crisps.
Wine
Wine vinegar is made from red or white wine, and is the most commonly used vinegar in
Mediterranean countries and
Central Europe. As with wine, there is a considerable range in quality. Better quality wine vinegars are matured in wood for up to two years, and exhibit a complex, mellow flavor. Wine vinegar tends to have a lower acidity than that of white or cider vinegars. More expensive wine vinegars are made from individual varieties of wine, such as
Champagne,
sherry, or
pinot grigio.
Apple cider
Apple cider vinegar, otherwise known simply as cider vinegar or ACV, is made from
cider or
apple must, and has a brownish-yellow color. It often is sold unfiltered and unpasteurized with the
mother of vinegar present, as a natural product. It is very popular, partly because of beneficial health and beauty properties
[7] and possible weight-loss properties. Because of its acidity, apple cider vinegar may be very harsh, even burning, to the throat. If taken straight, (as opposed to used in cooking), it can be diluted (e.g., with fruit juice or water) before drinking.
[8] It is also sometimes sweetened with sugar or honey.
[9] There have been reports of acid
chemical burns of the throat from apple cider vinegar tablets, but "doubt remains as to whether apple cider vinegar was in fact an ingredient in the evaluated products."
[10]
Fruit
Persimmon vinegar produced in South Korea
Fruit vinegars are made from
fruit wines, usually without any additional flavoring. Common flavors of fruit vinegar include
apple,
black currant,
raspberry,
quince, and
tomato. Typically, the flavors of the original fruits remain in the final product.
Most fruit vinegars are produced in Europe, where there is a growing market for high-priced vinegars made solely from specific fruits (as opposed to nonfruit vinegars which are infused with fruits or fruit flavors).
[11] Several varieties, however, also are produced in Asia.
Persimmon vinegar, called
gam sikcho (감식초), is popular in
South Korea.
Jujube vinegar
photo (called
枣醋 or
红枣醋 in Chinese) and
wolfberry vinegar
photo (called
枸杞醋 in Chinese) are produced in China.
Umezu (
梅酢; often translated as
umeboshi vinegar or
ume vinegar), a salty, sour liquid that is a
byproduct of
umeboshi (
pickled ume) production, is produced in Japan, but technically is not a true vinegar.
Jamun sirka (
Hindi: जामुन सिरका), a vinegar produced from the
jamun (or
rose apple) fruit in
India, is considered to be medicinally valuable for stomach, spleen and diabetic ailments.
[12]
Balsamic
Balsamic vinegar is an aromatic, aged type of vinegar traditionally crafted in the
Modena and
Reggio Emilia provinces of
Italy from the concentrated juice, or
must, of white grapes (typically of the
Trebbiano variety). It is very dark brown in color, and its flavor is rich, sweet, and complex, with the finest grades being the product of years of aging in a successive number of casks made of various types of wood (including oak, mulberry, chestnut, cherry, juniper, ash, and acacia). Originally a product available only to the Italian upper classes, a cheaper form of balsamic vinegar became widely known and available around the world in the late 20th century. True balsamic vinegar (which has
Protected Designation of Origin status) is aged for 12 to 25 years. Balsamic vinegars that have been aged for up to 100 years are available, though they are usually very expensive. The commercial balsamic sold in supermarkets is typically made with concentrated grape juice mixed with a strong vinegar, which is laced with caramel and sugar. Regardless of how it is produced, balsamic vinegar must be made from a grape product.
Balsamic vinegar has a high acidity level, but the tart flavor is usually hidden by the sweetness of the other ingredients, making it very mellow.
Rice
A bottle of rice vinegar produced in Guangdong, China
is most popular in the cuisines of East and Southeast Asia. It is available in "white" (light yellow), red, and black varieties. The
Japanese prefer a light rice vinegar for the preparation of
sushi rice and salad dressings. Red rice vinegar traditionally is colored with
red yeast rice. Black rice vinegar (made with black glutinous rice) is most popular in
China, and it is also widely used in other East Asian countries.
White rice vinegar has a mild acidity and a somewhat "flat", uncomplex flavor. Some varieties of rice vinegar are sweetened or otherwise seasoned with spices or other added flavorings.
Coconut
Coconut vinegar, made from fermented
coconut water, is used extensively in Southeast Asian cuisine (particularly in the Philippines and Sri Lanka, major producers, where it is called
suka ng niyog or
vinakiri), as well as in some cuisines of India. A cloudy white liquid, it has a particularly sharp, acidic taste with a slightly yeasty note.
Palm
Palm vinegar (
sukang paombong)
Palm vinegar, made from the fermented sap from flower clusters of the
nipa palm (also called attap palm), is used most often in the Philippines, where it is produced, and where it is called
sukang paombong. Its pH is between five and six.
Cane
Cane vinegar, made from
sugar cane juice, is most popular in the
Philippines, in particular, the
Ilocos Region of the northern Philippines (where it is called
sukang iloko), although it also is produced in France and the United States. It ranges from dark yellow to golden brown in color, and has a mellow flavor, similar in some respects, to rice vinegar, though with a somewhat "fresher" taste. Contrary to expectation, containing no residual sugar, it is not sweeter than other vinegars. In the Philippines, it often is labeled as
sukang maasim, although this is simply a generic term meaning "sour vinegar".
Cane vinegars from Ilocos also varies in two different types:
basi (sweet) and
suka (sour). The sweet vinegar is used as a wine in Ilokanos, while the other type of vinegar is used as a seasoning and preservative.
A white variation has become quite popular in
Brazil in recent years, where it is the cheapest type of vinegar sold. It is now common for other types of vinegar (made from wine, rice and apple cider) to be sold mixed with cane vinegar to lower the costs.
