If you are an avid home chef, you already know that vinegar is a pantry powerhouse with limitless uses. Working vinegar into your culinary toolkit is an excellent way to add a punch of flavour and personality to a host of dishes.

Vinegar appropriately takes its name from the French term vin aigre, or “sour wine.” It’s made by adding bacteria to any alcohol—wine, hard cider, beer—or sugars- then fermented and converted into acetic acid. The time for the vinegar to ferment depends on what it is made from. 

It has been traced back to 5000 B.C.E. in Babylon, not just for cooking but as a medicine, a preservative, and a drink to boost strength and promote wellness. Legend describes vinegar’s discovery when a forgotten wine was left in storage for several months, causing it to ferment and turn sour.

Listen to the full episode of my Newstalk show here. 

You’ll learn all about vinegar’s scientific composition, vinegar eels, and how to use this pantry staple in everything from cooking to cleaning.