AURO - The natural choice for daily life - page 18

AN ACCIDENTAL PRODUCT
WITH ENORMOUS EFFECTS
Vinegar has already been produced in ancient advanced
civilisations. Especially in the ancient Near East and Medi-
terranean areas, herbs were mixed into vinegar to turn it
into a palatable drink. Fragrant oils or juices were also
used to mix with vinegar. Particularly the mixture of vin-
egar and water is found in Roman history as an elixir that
was supposed to equip warriors
with strength and good health.
The origin of vinegar, however,
is by far more mundane. It was
found by accident when mead,
beer or wine stood too long and
turned sour. Acetic acid is pro-
duced by omnipresent bacteria
that get into the wine, start their
metabolism and thus turn the
alcohol into acetic acid. How-
ever, only as late as the 19
th
cen-
tury it was discovered that it
takes bacteria for the production
of acetic acid.
Medicinal uses of vinegar have
been recorded very early, e.g. in
cases of respiratory diseases or
indigestion. In the 18
th
century,
it was found out that vinegar can
be used as a preserving agent for
fish or vegetables and that it has disinfecting and healing
properties. Besides that, it was used with growing pleas-
ure in the preparation of food. In France, it was particu-
larly popular at that time to use vinegar for the creation of
refined marinades for salads. They were sold on the street,
right off so-called vinegar barrows which held different
barrels with varying acid contents. Shortly after, research-
ers also developped an interest in vinegar. Chemists dis-
covered that acetic acid was the result from alcohol and
tartaric acid once the alcohol had evaporated and turned
the tartaric acid into acetic acid. Modern home remedy
also knows vinegar as a cure, e.g. antifebrile compresses
or the inhalation of vinegar solution for a cough.
Nowadays vinegar is mostly
used as preserving agent, as
spice and in the food industry. At
AURO, we use wine vinegar as
a natural acid that has been fer-
mented from wine to alcohol and
then further fermented to acid.
VINEGAR
ORIGIN:
GERMANY
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