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Vinegar-Uses.com
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A Brief History of Vinegar
Just what is vinegar and where does it come from? Well, it seems that vinegar may have come about as an accident in China as far back as 2000 BC, when fruit or wine that was allowed to go off resulted in a sour wine. Another line of thought is that it started its life in France, when a cask of wine that had gone off proved to still have its uses. The name ‘vinegar’ comes from ‘vin aigre’, which is French for sour wine but this doesn’t necessarily prove which of the two possible histories is closer to the truth.
This condiment can be made from any fruit or vegetable that has enough sugar content to support the two stages of fermentation, creating firstly, alcohol and then vinegar. This concoction doesn’t only come from fruit and vegetables but also from other sources such as corn, rice and grain.
Over its long history, vinegar has proved its value as a disinfectant, an antiseptic, a food preservative and even a beverage but it is also said to have been used for the strangest of needs, such as dissolving pearls (Cleopatra), relaxing (Helen of Troy) and even to crack boulders into more manageable sizes (around the time of Christ). It was also believed that it could prolong life, fighting off many illnesses and diseases relating to old age and keeping the memory on top form. Indeed, modern day research has indicated that there is evidence that this elixir can reduce conditions that may lead to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease e.g. diabetes, high blood sugar and obesity. So, two or three tablespoons of vinegar a day might clean out the body and make you feel more alive.
The Greek physician Hippocrates recommended vinegar to his patients and, in the seventeenth century, ladies and gentlemen would carry some form of this acetic acid with them, to mask the stench of the raw sewage in the streets.
In World War1, vinegar was used as an antiseptic and the twentieth century saw vinegar being used for so many purposes, including disinfecting, pickling, cleaning and, the way we all know, to enhance the taste of food. Overall, it seems that re-introducing this much-revered substance into our lives on a grander scale can only do us good and, as there are many types and flavours available, enhancing more than fish and chips shouldn’t be a difficult task.
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