Vinegar - A Sweet and Sour History

What is with vinegar? Why it is so popular as an ingredient in our cooking?Why do we love the sour taste so much when mixed in our dishes?In the ancient Mediterranean vinegar was practically always made from wine, hence the epic epithet oininon oxos 'winy vinegar' employed by Archestratus.Vinegar is most often used as a culinary ingredient and as a preservative. Numerous medicinal uses are listed by ancient physicians. A vinegar and water mixture, known in Greek as oxykraton, was also used medicinally. A very similar mixture, flavoured with herbs, formed a popular cheap drink (Latin posca, Greek oxos and later phouska)Music by Pavlos Kapralos.Enjoy!The Delicious LegacySupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.