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The History of Apple Cider Vinegar
The word vinegar has its origin in the Latin words for sour wine. The Latin words are Vinum, which means wine, and aigre, which means sour. People around the world have used vinegar for thousands of years. It is used in sauces, salad dressings, and other things. Vinegar is one of the great gifts of nature — a natural product in every perspective. It is important to note that most alcoholic beverages, whether made from grapes, dates, apples, plain white sugar, or rice, naturally turn to vinegar once it is exposed to air. The bacteria in the air causes the alcohol in wine, beer, and cider to convert into acetic acid. This acetic acid is responsible for the sharp, sour taste of vinegar.
The history of vinegar dates back to 5000 BC. Back then, the Babylonians produced vinegar from the date palm. It was used as a source of food and as a preservative. It was also used as a pickling agent. Residues of vinegar have been found in ancient urns in Egypt. These antique urns have been traced back to 3000 BC.
Vinegar was used in Biblical times to flavor foods, medicine, and energizing agents. So popular was it that it had been mentioned both in the New and Old testaments. Ruth 2:14, for instance, tells of the maiden Ruth who was invited by Boaz, the man on whose farm she worked, for a meal of bread dipped in vinegar.
Also, in 400 BC (Ancient Greece), Hippocrates prescribed apple cider vinegar and honey for various ills such as colds and coughs.
The history of apple cider vinegar is also vital in China and Africa. It has been used in both climes as alternative medicine. It is enriched with vitamins B, C, and acetic acid, which enhances the absorption of vital minerals from the foods we eat and slows down the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar.
Another story worth telling is the Aryans, an ancient nomadic tribe. The Aryans produced sour apple wine, an essential forerunner of apple cider vinegar. This sour recipe was passed to the Romans and Greeks, and that was how people began developing apple cider vinegar as a by-product of their soured wines.
