Virtues and properties of vinegar, a miraculous acid

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By pro_admin

According to Livy (one of the great historians of antiquity) King Hannibal threw hot vinegar on the rocks so that the elephants of his powerful army could cross the icy mountains of the Alps. References have also been found in the Babylonian culture that from as far back as 500 years before Christ a type of vinegar obtained from dates grown in the region was used.

We have inherited then an essential protagonist of today’s cuisine that is nothing more than that liquid of peculiar taste and smell that usually contains 40 percent acetic acid per litre of water. The term vinegar comes from the Latin vinum acre (acid wine) which later passed into French as vinaigre.

Virtues and properties of vinegar

Among the virtues and properties that make it a coveted ingredient are not containing salt or fat. It is a powerful antibacterial and healing, serves as a natural food preservative, enhances the flavour of certain foods and neutralizes the smell of certain odours such as garlic and onion.

It helps the digestion of fats and is an essential ingredient when preparing mayonnaise sauces, mustard sauces and salad dressings.

Its topical use is also recommended in minor burns and serves to clean metal objects.

Vinegar is essential in the preparation of marinades of fish and seafood and in vegetable pickles.

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