The
vinegar, an old traditional condiment of the gastronomy, the
"vinum acre" of the Romans, nowadays an indispensable
condiment of our dishes. There are many different types of
vinegars.
It is difficult to imagine a salad without the peculiar taste
and aroma of the vinegar, like it is difficult to imagine
the salad without the colour of the tomatoes or the pepper
in spite that this is a new incorporation since the discovering
of America, because in Europe we did not know before. In Europe
the vinegar with the oil was profoundly incorporated in the
kitchen, mostly in the Mediterranean area.
Before the discovering of America, in the Mediterranean culture
there was a considerable liking for the salads. Nowadays a
considerable number of testimonies from that time tell us
that the lettuce, endive, carrot, garlic, pore, asparagus
and cucumber was seasoned expert and delicately by the Romans
and Greeks with the extra virgin olive oil, the vinegar and
the salt.
From that time we have and old proverb we can find with many
different languishes from the Mediterranean villages which
says"To make a good salad, we need four good friends;
a miser to put the vinegar, a prodigal to put the oil, a wise
to put the salt and a crazy to mix all".
Behind this valid criterion, we can add that the quantity
of vinegar we can use on the salads it is one fifth part of
the volume of oil.
Basically it is understood by vinegar the acid liquid and
astringent from the acid fermentation of the wine, of course
of the best quality. As much as good is the wine, better will
be the vinegar. From that point, the importance of the wine
from the region of Priorato and Jerez. Also there are vinegars
from the acetic fermentation of the cider, beer... Also it
is possible to elaborate vinegars from the malt, beet, some
fruits, the basic component of the acetic acid it is the water.
However there is a big different between all that vinegars
and the one made with wine
Carlos Arbelos |
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