National Vinegar Day

You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar… unless it’s balsamic vinegar.

Anonymous

So there are two types of vinegar that most people think of when they think of vinegar, and most of it is crystal clear and comes in a plastic jug labeled “white vinegar.” The other kind is the thick, almost syrup-like culinary black magic that is balsamic vinegar, which draws more flies than honey does. Outside of this, there’s a positive rainbow of flavors and preparations for vinegar that most people have never heard of. National Vinegar Day is out to change all that by introducing you to the delicious range of flavors that are possible with vinegar.

History of National Vinegar Day

Vinegar is the result of the natural fermentation process that creates wine when it is left unchecked or deliberately allowed to proceed. It has a distinctive flavor that is used to enhance the flavors of a million different recipes and is central to the pickling process that makes so many foods able to be preserved. You may be surprised to find out how many things contain vinegar; they cross the range from the fairly obvious pickle all the way to the somewhat surprising ketchup!

How many types of vinegar are there? More than you could imagine, but some of the most basic varieties are balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, distilled white vinegar, champagne vinegar, rice vinegar, sherry vinegar, and a myriad of others too numerous to name. Each of these can also be found stuffed with certain herbs and spices to create a unique experience and bring a unique flavor to every dish they touch.

Throughout history vinegar has been prized for the light tangy flavor it brings to many foods, and especially for its preservation properties in times when refrigeration wasn’t invented yet, and salt was as precious as gold. National Vinegar Day reminds us to experiment with this range of flavors and discover precisely what the world has to offer.

How to Celebrate National Vinegar Day

Celebrating National Vinegar Day can best be accomplished by going to a specialty store and collecting a broad range of vinegar’s to sample. If you want to be creative, you can do the same thing with olive oil, the two blend together perfectly to create that popular salad dressing known as a vinaigrette. Take these two ingredients and serve them up with a sliced loaf of French bread and small bowls containing a sample of each. Dip your bread in one or both and enjoy the flavors they bring.