1. It is a representative seasoning that gives off a sour taste, and it adds freshness to various dishes using its unique sour taste and aroma.
Usually, glucose, which is abundant in grains and fruits, is saccharified to become alcohol through an alcohol fermentation process, and vinegar becomes vinegar when alcohol is fermented with acetic acid, so even the first humans could make it relatively easy without much technology. Acetic acid bacteria exist in the air everywhere in the world, so if alcohol was made in almost every culture, of course, vinegar could be made. No, if you store alcohol for a long time or if it is stored incorrectly, it is naturally vinegar. As such, it is a seasoning that can be easily accessed from all classes. Meat, vegetables, and grains go well together. In particular, it is excellent in removing the fishy smell and obtaining the sterilizing effect of raw fish as a bonus, so it is sometimes eaten with vinegar or soy sauce or red pepper paste with vinegar in all fish dishes. Vinegar is also served when eating noodles. The noodles with vinegar react with the acid of vinegar and have a chewy texture. On the contrary, in the case of warm noodles, they are divided into likes and dislikes due to the sour taste of vinegar, but those who pursue the chewy taste of noodles or enjoy the sour taste of vinegar add vinegar.
2. Not only the taste but also the excellent sterilization effect of vinegar is a great advantage.
In the past, when food preservation technology was insufficient, most foods were not only tasteless during long-term storage, but even various bacteria reproduced and spoiled, and vinegar not only supplemented the taste but also suppressed the growth of various bacteria to prevent food poisoning. The reason for the birth of sushi was to store it for a long time, prevent food poisoning, and suppress parasites, and in ancient Rome, legions and lower-class people drank Posca, which also used vinegar's disinfection and sterilization effect. In the past, when science was not developed, it was used as a disinfectant. In Europe, which was devastated by the Black Death, the story of thieves who walked around intact while applying vinegar made from garlic and herbs every few hours is told. When they were eventually caught, they blew the recipe in exchange for freedom, which is called your thief's vinegar. Or, these thieves were caught before the Black Death and as a punishment, they buried the body of the Black Death patient, and it is said that they made this vinegar while trying to live in a situation where they almost certainly died.
A hidden contributor to human prosperity in this sense. Without vinegar, how many ancient people would have died of various diseases? The method we use the most in real life is often used to sterilize dishcloths in the kitchen using the sterilization effect of vinegar. The best advantage is that it is harmless to the human body because it is the food itself. The downside is that you have to do a lot to get rid of the sour smell. Or dry it sufficiently in a windy place so that the smell of vinegar disappears.
3. Basically, the vinegar commonly available on the market is acetic acid fermented vinegar using liquor.
In fact, alcohol itself is alcohol itself, so if you kill acetic acid bacteria, you kill them, but acetic acid fermentation does not proceed automatically. That's why each company puts in something called fermented nutrients and forces the fermentation to proceed with acetic acid. Whether forced or not, acetic fermentation itself is natural fermentation, and the vinegar produced in this way is often called alcoholic fermentation vinegar because it is fermented and the liquor becomes vinegar. When alcohol is fermented with acetic acid in this way, colorless and transparent vinegar is produced because it does not discolor in the fermentation process, and this vinegar is sold as white vinegar. That's Heinz's white vinegar at the grocery store. It can be seen as a sample of food companies not telling lies. Because alcoholic fermentation vinegar is fermentation vinegar. So, of course, the most common vinegar in the United States and Europe is this colorless and transparent distillate white vinegar. In the U.S. and Europe, it is also transplanted into liquor-fermented vinegar and vinegar obtained by natural fermentation. Depending on the company, 100% natural is a bonus. If you say this, isn't white vinegar glacial acetic acid? It can be said that the glacial acetic acid in Korea is a chemical compound by reacting with methanol with carbon monoxide. This is the same in the United States and Europe, so it is recognized that vinegar with an acetic acid content of 5w/v% or more is vinegar using chemical synthesis. In addition, since this vinegar is not food, it often occupies a corner next to the cleaning product section and bleach. And not recommended for food use Vinegar is sold as a beverage base in the same way, but it can be said to have a high extract content.
4. Recently, it is also attracting attention as a healthy food.
The evaluation of this part is still mixed among scholars. Although the seller claims that vinegar is effective in preventing various diseases, adult diseases, and dieting, studies show that high acidity can be a factor in the development of esophageal cancer. This is because the transformation of esophageal epithelial cells is caused by gastric acid reflux, hot tea, hot soup, smoking, etc. However, since there are studies showing that vinegar inhibits esophageal cancer, the results of the study seem to vary depending on the strength of the acid or whether it is continuously consumed. In other words, it must be accepted with some flexibility. Carbonated water, which is known to be good for health, is quite acidic than expected. In addition, acidic drinks such as soda are also the main cause of tooth decay. It is true that vinegar, which is based on alcohol made from grains or fruits, is rich in minerals and vitamins derived from grains or fruits, rather than alcoholic vinegar. However, since the nutrients of the grain or fruit did not come out of anywhere, just eating the grain and eating the fruit could be much more beneficial as a nutrient. Since it is basically a condiment, naturally fermented vinegar or whatever is not as effective as advertising. If there were, they'd be in the ranks of medicines and essential nutrients. Acetic acid has a slight effect on controlling blood sugar levels, and it is effective to prevent constipation by facilitating digestion. In addition, I don't know how much I will touch the readers of this article because they have different tastes, but if there is an advantage that it is effective for modern people who sweat less due to lack of activity and consume less sugar, it can satisfy the blandness of the food cooked to control their diet. In addition, these days, there are so many products with the good quality compared to the past, so it is good to find and eat preferred products, so it is not too bad to mix them in water and eat them with bland meat such as chicken breast. However, there is a side effect of feeling hungry, and it is not good for your teeth if it is too much, so it is not recommended to eat day and night for health purposes. Balsamic vinegar made from wine grapes is also famous.
5. As people improve their livelihood, much natural vinegar made by making fruit liquor from fruits such as apples, pears, and persimmons is sold for healthy food.
In the case of natural vinegar, fruit liquor was made based on fruit juice, and vinegar was made by acetic acid fermentation of the fruit liquor, so the basic base is fruit juice. Therefore, it is also possible to mix an appropriate amount of water and sugar and make it into a drink. In the early 21st century, various vinegar drinks began to appear, and there are now many types of pure vinegar drinks without other ingredients. Usually, it is in the form of a liquid that is eaten in water, and if you want it to be sweet, you have to mix it with oligosaccharide or honey, but there are products that are made without having to do so by adding juice to vinegar. However, these products are generally classified as beverage bases, and the proportion of vinegar is around 50%. In fact, all the ingredients that can make alcohol can be made with vinegar. Rice, fruits, etc. Even grapefruit vinegar is possible. You can make it with leftover beer if the conditions are right. In some cases, vinegar is added instead of rennet when making cheese, and in some cases, vinegar is added instead of seasoning when making tofu, and neither is common.
6. As a fermented food, its smell is very unique and stimulating.
Maybe that's why I'm often compared to armpit sweat. Or the smell of feet smell. Since acetic acid used in science laboratories is also a kind of vinegar, even in schools, science laboratories are treated as a place where vinegar smells. Nevertheless, the concentration is not very stimulating, and perhaps because it has been used among human cultures for a long time, there are many people who think nothing of vinegar, regardless of race and culture. However, this is because vinegar is usually added only a little to the food or mainly to the sauce, and the smell of raw vinegar is also difficult. Vinegar smells very well due to its high volatility, but since it evaporates and disappears quickly as it is highly volatile, the smell of vinegar does not last long when it is applied or spilled somewhere. Because of this, it's perfect when you get a strange smell out of your clothes. If you soak your clothes in vinegar for a few hours and later turn them in the washing machine, most likely, the original smell escapes.