[Sca-cooks] alegar and vinegar

[Stefan li Rous]

I am currently editing an article that Mistress Christianna MacGrain
sent to me about vinegar for the Florilegium.

I found her comments about alegar useful in seeing the differances
between alegar and vinegar (which others have pointed out here recently).
Particularly the part about "egar" meaning sour. Anyway, I thought
some here might also find this clarifies things for them.

>>>>>>>
 Vinegar made from beer is more properly called "alegar". It may have
been introduced as early as Roman times. Around the 17th century, alegar
began to take the place of verjuice (unripe grape juice) in pickles and
sauces, and began to usurp the name "vinegar", previously only applied
to wine-based products. Although other kinds of vinegar were still made,
malt vinegar became the most common.  The suffix "egar" meaning sour,
with the Old French 'vin', and 'aigre', or sour wine. So alegar or ale
"vinegar" does indeed come from soured beer or ale.
<<<<<<<

For those who might be interested in more, this article should shortly
be in the FOOD section of the Florilegium as Vinegar-art.
--
THLord  Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
Mark S. Harris             Austin, Texas         stefan at texas.net
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****