[Sca-cooks] Re:vinegar and ale

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Stefan li Rous wrote:
>
> > Devra at aol.com wrote:
> > > Actually, I believe what you get is alegar.  (snicker--neat word, eh?)
> > > Devra
> >
> > Technically, yes, and an excellent term it is. By that logic, though,
> > rice wine vinegar, cider vinegar, and distilled white vinegar are also
> > not entitled to be called vinegar. I figure if the Heinz company has the
> > cojones to call it malt vinegar, I'm not going to worry.
> >
> > Adamantius
>
> Huh? What is "alegar"? I thought all of these items were vinegar? Are
> you saying that only wine creates vinegar? If so, then why does
> fermented rice wine not make vinegar? Or are we also saying wines can
> only be from grapes?
>
> I thought alegar was the clear gel used to grow cultures in.

Don' know nuthin' 'bout birthin' no cultures, Mizzy Scahlett.

Alegar = Ale egar/eger/aigre (as in egerdouce), or sour ale
Vinegar = Vin egar/eger/aigre or sour wine

By distinguishing malt "vinegar" as a non-wine product (as opposed to
simply a vinegar product), in other words by its origin rather than by
its sour nature (a perfectly legitimate and sensible if somewhat
outdated approach from a language perspective, given our use of terms
like malt vinegar, rice vinegar, etc.) we then leave open
reclassification of the other "vinegars" not made from wine. And these
include, in addition to alegar or malt vinegar, rice vinegar (since rice
"wine" is in fact an ale), cider vinegar (made from cider, which is not
wine), and so forth.

I guess it boils down to whether one wants to be exclusionary
(exclusive?) or not. But if one does, then it has to be unilaterally.

So does anybody know what the German essig is made from? is it just
concentrated vinegar of whatever type is available?

Adamantius
--
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com

"It was so blatant that Roger threw at him.  Clemens gets away with
things that get other people thrown out of games.  As long as they
let him get away with it, it's going  to continue." -- Joe Torre, 9/98