Vinegar

The word “vinegar” derives from the French “vin aigre,” meaning sour wine. 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 has it that vinegar was discovered when a forgotten wine was left in storage for several months, causing it to ferment and turn sour.

Vinegar is a mixture of acetic acid and water produced through a two-step fermentation process. First, yeast feeds on the sugars or starches found in liquids from plant-based foods, such as fruits, whole grains, potatoes, or rice. This liquid ferments into alcohol. The alcohol is then exposed to oxygen and the acetic acid bacteria Acetobacter to undergo a second fermentation over weeks or months, resulting in the formation of vinegar.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires vinegar to contain at least 4% acetic acid, but it may range up to 8% in commonly used vinegars. Although acetic acid is responsible for the tart and pungent flavors and odors we recognize, vinegar also contains trace vitamins, mineral salts, amino acids, and polyphenolic compounds. Flavors range from sour to savory to sweet.

Supporters of vinegar ingestion claim it helps with weight loss, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, controls blood sugar levels, boosts immunity, relieves constipation, regulates the body's and skin pH, and removes toxins from the body; however, there is limited scientific evidence supporting these claims.

Vinegar is not a typical ingredient in Indian cooking. Still, the Charaka Samhita (a classical Ayurvedic text) states, "There is nothing in the world which does not have therapeutic utility in appropriate conditions and situations." According to Ayurveda, vinegar can support healthy blood sugar levels, aid in weight loss, enhance stomach acid production—which increases the digestive fire (Agni)—and reduce cravings. 

Ayurveda holds that "The effectiveness of your digestion depends on the strength of the digestive fire, Agni," and aims for efficient digestion, absorption, and elimination. If the digestive fire is low, food can remain in the stomach, leading to symptoms such as bloating, belching, and gas. If the digestive fire is too high, you might experience burning, sharpness, and pain.

Ayurveda uses the six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent) to help regulate the digestive, assimilation, and elimination processes. Each of these tastes has different energetics: sour, salty, and pungent are heating and increase the digestive fire, while sweet and astringent flavors are cooling and heavy, and the bitter taste is cold and light.