National Vinegar Day
A secret ingredient in culinary magic, it's that tangy liquid that turns a bland dish into a flavor fiesta — a kitchen magician in a bottle.
Celebrate vinegar's versatility and culinary heritage by showcasing specialty varieties and preservation techniques to home cooks and food enthusiasts.
- Vinegar variety guide: balsamic vs. apple cider vs. rice — which one transforms your favorite dish?
- Pickling 101: preserve your harvest with the right vinegar type
- Hidden vinegar: surprising everyday products (ketchup, sauces, dressings) that rely on this secret ingredient
- Vinegar tasting challenge: explore global flavors from champagne to sherry
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.