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The Value of Authentic Vinegar by Cheryl Player
Vinegar has long had its place in
the household kitchen cupboard. Unfortunately, the most commonly used vinegar
is white distilled vinegar. The process of distillation renders it
nutrition-less, removing minerals such as potassium, and important acids which
ward off bodily toxins and unfriendly bacteria. This highly processed vinegar
can be demineralizing when ingested, therefore it should not be used
internally. It does however, work well in all kinds of household cleaning
chores.
There are much better choices of
vinegar which meet culinary approval and have medicinal integrity. One that
has gained in popularity over the years is apple cider vinegar. The taste is
tart and fruity and complements many dishes. The best choice would be an
organic, naturally brewed, unfiltered and unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
made with whole crushed apples. Because of the concern people may have about
E. Coli due to the outbreak in unpasteurized apple juice, I was able to find
out from the Vinegar Institute that "E. Coli cannot survive in the low
(acidic) pH of vinegar" and test results were negative. If it contains
"mother," then all the better. Mother is the name for the
stringy protein molecules that form in authentic vinegar. If this is
unappealing to you, it can be removed by gently filtering through an
unbleached coffee filter or other appropriate method.
Apple cider vinegar has long been
used in folk remedies. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, used it in 400
B.C. to treat his patients. Dr. Jarvis, the author of the book, Folk
Medicine, states "One reason for the versatility of apple cider vinegar
as a remedy in Vermont folk medicine is that it associates minerals with
potassium. These are phosphorous, chlorine, sodium, magnesium, calcium,
sulfur, iron, fluorine, silicon and many trace minerals." He also
stresses the importance of the mineral potassium in particular as he states
"potassium is to soft tissues what calcium is to hard tissues."
Another illustration of the
importance of potassium is stated by Paul Bragg, N.D., Ph.D. in his book Apple
Cider Vinegar, about an experiment conducted in 1912. He states "Research
scientist Dr. Alexis Carrel kept the cells of an embryo chicken heart alive
and healthy for over 30 years by daily monitoring its complete nutrition,
cleansing and elimination. The normal life span of an average chicken is
7-8 years." The chicken embryo was given apple cider vinegar daily for
its supply of potassium. Dr. Carrel could have gone on with the experiment,
but he felt he had proved his point that healthy cells can continue to
rejuvenate with proper maintenance.
Also explained by Dr. Paul Bragg is
the body's amazing ability to constantly rejuvenate itself. He explains that
every three months a new bloodstream is built, every eleven months we build a
new set of billions of body cells, and every two years new sets of bones and
hard tissues are built. This constant state of renewal is indicative of
the body's fight to stay young, healthy and full of life with proper
nutrition, minerals and elimination of toxins. Apple cider vinegar provides
important minerals and also has a detoxifying effect on the liver.
Brown rice vinegar has been called
the eastern version of apple cider vinegar. The flavor has about half the
sharpness and a subtle sweetness. When shopping for brown rice vinegar, Kyushu
is a particular type that stands out from the rest. It accounts for less than
one percent of Japan's annual 100 million gallon production of vinegar. Unlike
other brown rice vinegars, Kyushu is buried in the ground outdoors in glazed
crocks where it is allowed to ferment. This keeps the temperature constant
which is very important because variations in temperature can ruin a batch
very quickly. This process includes high quality ingredients and is much more tedious than conventional brown
rice vinegar, but the end result yields superior flavor and five times the
amount of amino acids.
Authentic vinegar is very useful
to the body and research suggests the amino acids are partly responsible for
the medicinal effect. John and Jan Belleme, authors of the book, Culinary
Treasures of Japan, state in their book "Dr. Yoshio Takino, of Shizuka
University, Japan, has confirmed the importance of vinegar's amino acids.
According to Takino, the twenty amino acids and sixteen organic acids found in
authentic rice vinegar help prevent the formation of toxic fat
peroxides. He explains that when unsaturated fatty acids from vegetable oils
and other foods are heated and exposed to light in cooking or oxidized
during metabolism, fat peroxides can form, which contribute to aging and to
cholesterol formation on blood vessel walls."
Both apple cider vinegar and brown
rice vinegar are used medicinally for various ailments. There are, however,
other types of vinegar which are used all around the world to add taste and
appeal to all types of dishes. Modena, Italy is known for its great tasting
balsamic vinegar. It is made by gently crushing wine grapes and then
boiling the juice in a vat. After several more steps it is poured into wooden
casts to ferment. The method of making "Tradizional" or the
"real thing" takes years and is very expensive. The end product is a
nice balance of sweet and sour and lends full, rich flavor to all it is
sprinkled on.
Wine vinegar differs according to the source of wine. Red wine vinegar adds a robust flavor and goes well with pungent greens, as well as meats and cheese, much like red wine itself. White wine vinegar has a more delicate flavor and is excellent with tender, young greens and pasta dishes.
The research that has been done on
apple cider vinegar and brown rice vinegar speaks for itself concerning the
health benefits. I was unable to find health related information supporting
other vinegar types. This is not to say, however, that this research is not in
the works. Something to look for when shopping for either wine vinegar
or balsamic vinegar is a type of preservative called sulfites. Marcio Bontempo,
a medical doctor in Brazil has stated "one in five people is
sulfite-sensitive," and that "five percent of those who have asthma
are also at risk of suffering an adverse reaction to the substance."
Whichever types of vinegars you decide to experiment with, by all means add
them to your dishes to impart fresh, zingy flair to all your culinary
creations.
References:
This vinegar is made from fresh
picked apples instead of the typical windfall apples. It is the apple cider
vinegar made without heat or preservatives. Folklore has it that it can be
taken with water as a restorative tonic.
Organic brown rice vinegar can be used in place of apple cider vinegar in various folklore remedies. |