Vinegar, also known as table vinegar, is an acidic seasoning containing acetic acid. Vinegar includes rice vinegar, mature vinegar, balsamic vinegar, bran vinegar, wine vinegar, white vinegar, various fruit juice vinegar, garlic vinegar, ginger vinegar, health vinegar, etc. Due to different raw materials and production methods, the flavors of the finished products vary greatly. Vinegar is a commonly used acidic seasoning. The acetic acid content in every 100mL of vinegar is more than 3.5g for ordinary vinegar and more than 5g for superior vinegar. Since vinegar can improve and regulate the body's metabolism, its demand as a dietary condiment continues to grow.

There are 4 categories of raw materials and production methods of vinegar.

(1) Traditional Chinese vinegar-making raw materials are mainly glutinous rice and rice (japonica rice) south of the Yangtze River, and sorghum and millet are mainly used north of the Yangtze River. Nowadays, broken rice, corn, sweet potato, dried sweet potato, potato, dried potato, etc. are often substituted. The raw materials are first cooked, gelatinized, liquefied and saccharified to convert starch into sugar, and then fermented with yeast to produce ethanol. Then, acetic acid is fermented under the action of acetic acid bacteria, and ethanol is oxidized to produce acetic acid.

(2) Use sugary raw materials to make vinegar. Grapes, apples, pears, peaches, persimmons, dates, tomatoes, etc. can be used to brew various fruit juice vinegars. Honey and molasses can also be used as raw materials. They only need to go through two biochemical stages: ethanol fermentation and acetic acid fermentation.

(3) Using ethanol as raw material and adding acetic acid bacteria, it only undergoes one biochemical stage of acetic acid fermentation. For example, low-alcohol liquor or edible alcohol diluted with water can be used as raw material to make vinegar using a quick brewing method. It only takes 1 to 3 days to obtain wine vinegar.

(4) Prepare white vinegar by adding edible glacial acetic acid and water, and then add seasonings, spices, colorants, etc. to make it a vinegar with a flavor similar to that of brewed vinegar

Legend has it that in the ancient Zhongxing Kingdom, now Yuncheng County, Shanxi Province, a man named Du Kang invented wine. His son Heita also learned wine-making techniques from Du Kang. Later, Heita led his people to move to what is now Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province. There, after they made wine, they felt that it would be a pity to throw away the lees, so they stored them and soaked them in a vat. On the 21st, when I opened the vat, a scent that I had never smelled before hit my nostrils. Tempted by the rich aroma, Heita took a bite. It tasted both sour and sweet, and tasted delicious, so he stored it as a "seasoning paste". What is the name of this seasoning paste? Heita named the sour water "vinegar" by adding the word "You" to the twenty-first day.

It is said that to this day, the Zhenjiang Hengshun Sauce and Vinegar Factory has a period of twenty-one days to brew a batch of vinegar.

In ancient times, vinegar was also called fermented wine, vinegar, bitter wine, etc. Because it ranked first among the five flavors in cooking, the ancients who loved vinegar gave it an anthropomorphic title - " Chief Food Officer".

According to different vinegar production methods, vinegar can be divided into brewed vinegar and prepared vinegar. The prepared vinegar is made by blending edible glacial acid vinegar with water, acidulants, seasonings, spices, and food colorings. It only has a certain seasoning function. Vinegar brewing is made from grain as raw material and brewed through microbial fermentation. Its nutritional value and mellow flavor far exceed that of prepared vinegar. It has many functions such as seasoning, health care, medicine, and medical use.

China is the first country in the world to make vinegar from grains. There are written records of vinegar as early as the 8th century BC. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there were workshops specializing in making vinegar. By the Han Dynasty, vinegar began to be widely produced. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the production and sales of vinegar were very large. The famous book "Qi Min Yao Shu" at that time systematically summarized the experience and achievements of my country's working people in vinegar production from ancient times to the Northern Wei Dynasty. The book *** It contains 22 methods of making vinegar, which is also the earliest record of vinegar brewing from grain in existing historical materials in my country.

Vinegar is not only a good seasoning in our lives, but also has many functions, mainly including:

1. The functions of vinegar can eliminate fatigue.

2. Vinegar can mediate the acid-base balance of blood.

3. Vinegar can help digestion and absorption. It can help people absorb calcium effectively.

4. Vinegar can prevent aging.

5. Vinegar can enhance the bactericidal ability of the gastrointestinal tract.

6. Vinegar can enhance liver function.

7. Vinegar can dilate blood vessels and prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

8. Vinegar can enhance kidney function.

9. Vinegar can help you lose weight and stay fit.

10. Vinegar can be used for beauty and skin care. (This is because the main component of vinegar is acetic acid, which has a strong bactericidal effect and can protect the skin and hair very well. Washing the skin with vinegar-added water can help the skin absorb some much-needed nutrients. It can soften the skin and enhance skin vitality.)

11. Vinegar can prevent cancer. A joint research team of Kanazawa Medical University and Kyoto University in Japan recently confirmed through experiments on mice, using brown rice as raw material. Black vinegar has anti-cancer effects.

If vinegar can be used well, there will be some unexpected effects:

1. Vinegar can treat insomnia - insomnia patients should pour a cup of cold water before going to bed, and then add 1 spoon of vinegar will make you fall asleep quickly after drinking it. Rubbing the soles of your feet with warm old vinegar before going to bed will also make it easier for you to fall asleep.

2. Vinegar can treat sprains - mix flour and cook it into a paste, add an appropriate amount of mature vinegar, apply it on paper or gauze, and stick it to the affected area. After it dries, gently uncover it and replace it with another piece. Applying it several times in this way can eliminate the burning sensation and pain in the sprained area. This method is effective for bone and joint dislocations, falls and other trauma.

3. Vinegar can treat rhinitis - put about 5 ml of mature vinegar into a 1000 ml scrubber to clean the nasal cavity, and wash it twice a day to treat rhinitis.

4. Vinegar can treat numb feet - heat 1 liter of mature vinegar and pour it into a bucket, then soak both feet for 20 minutes each time. After soaking in this way for 4 to 5 times, the numbness symptoms can be relieved.

5. Vinegar can treat burns - According to the principle of acid-base neutralization, vinegar is made into a 5-degree solution to wash burns, especially for lime burns. Or applying gauze soaked in vinegar to the burned area can also be effective.

6. Vinegar can treat coughs - soak garlic in mature vinegar for 15 days, eat 1 to 2 cloves of garlic on an empty stomach every morning, and drink some vinegar juice for 10 to 15 days. It can relieve cough and asthma, detoxify and disperse stasis, lower blood pressure and lipids, and prevent the occurrence of infectious diseases and tumors in the elderly.