Sour Taste of Vinegar Kicks Out Summer Heat

It is a sweaty season. Many people go to the `cold noodle restaurants.` Sour food helps people revitalized during summer. In summer, the sale of vinegars used for cold noodles and cold dishes rises up 30 percent more than other seasons.

In Western countries, people use vinegars to preserved food such as pickles. Due to fibers, vinegars could even lower the number of cholesterol. Vinegars are also good for skin care purpose thus, they are essential material for homemade cosmetic products.

Kinds of vinegars: Most vinegars in the market are brewed vinegars that are made from the materials extracted from malts. Besides, there are brown-rice vinegars, apple vinegars, and lemon vinegars. Recently, white vinegars, which are colorless and transparent, has been released to the market. They help the color of dishes to be more natural.

Persimmon vinegars are used as a supplementary health food. Grape vinegars that are produce by some farmers, cherry vinegars and pine vinegars which are made by some food companies, are also used for health purpose.

As the number of housewives who are interested in Western cuisine escalates, the demand of imported vinegars from Germany, Italy, and Spain are increasing. Imported vinegars are mostly consisted of wine vinegars and balsamic vinegars. Wine vinegars are made by fermenting of red wines or white wines. Balsamic vinegars are made by brewing of the fermented red wines. Due to the difference in the production procedure, balsamic vinegars have a darker red color.

Products: In a department store, brewed vinegars are found in the food section, but `health vinegars` such as persimmon vinegars, are sold in the health food section. The price of `Gamro`, a persimmon vinegar made in Chiri Mountain, is 5.500 won (550 ml bottle) and 10.000 won ( 900 ml). Persimmon vinegars are good for a hangover and fatigue because they reduce the internal fat and prevent the production of the lactic acid. People drink persimmon vinegars by mixing with honey or fresh water.

Among imported vinegars, balsamic vinegars are more expensive than wine vinegars. A good balsamic vinegar is one with a less sour taste. It has the sweet taste of grape. Red wine vinegars are used for meat and white-wine vinegars are good for seafood.

Park Joong-Hyun sanjuck@donga.com