Vinegar: nutrition and how to use it

Fun facts

• Vinegar is made by fermenting twice: yeast turns sugar into alcohol, then bacteria turn alcohol into acetic acid. Everyday white vinegar is usually about 5% acid.
• Many Vietnamese homes once kept a "vinegar mother", a rubbery film floating on a jar of banana or coconut vinegar. It is the colony of bacteria that makes the vinegar.
• 100g of white vinegar has only 18 kcal, with no protein, fat or sugar. A tablespoon is under 3 kcal.
• Vietnamese cooks use vinegar for quick pickles, salads, dipping sauces and soaking onions to soften their bite.

Choosing and storing

White vinegar suits pickling and dipping sauces; rice vinegar is gentler; apple cider and homemade fruit vinegars bring a fruity aroma. Because it is so acidic, vinegar keeps for a very long time, as long as it is capped and out of the sun. A little sediment or a thin film at the bottom of natural vinegar is normal.

Cooking it well

A few drops of vinegar at the end of a sour soup, stir-fry or braise brighten the flavor, and a tastier dish needs less salt. Vinegar is the base of light dressings; our vinaigrette recipe is in this article. When cooking with vinegar, use stainless steel, glass or enamel pots rather than aluminum.

Frequently asked questions