or beer, milk begets cheese or yogurt, rice gruel begets sake or rice
vinegar, cane or palm juice begets cane or palm wine or liquor,
raisins beget khall inab or raisin vinegar, corn mash begets bourbon,
apple cider begets hard cider or cider vinegar, cabbage begets kim
chee, and potatoes beget vodka. But while love can be inevitable,
fermentation needs very distinct types of environments and species
of bacteria to turn out well. Anyone who has ever bought a winemaking kit for $29.99 can tell you that. And while fermentation
was known to many, it was only when Louis Pasteur magnified the
little squiggly things responsible for the magic that it was really
understood by science.
Health claims also abound. It’s an unsaturated oil that is
unprocessed with heat or hydrated to form trans fatty acids; it is
loaded with polyphenols and is about the best oil you can ingest.
But there are way better reasons for using it. Try making up a classic
vinaigrette with real olive oil: A dab of Dijon mustard, dash of salt,
a tablespoon of lemon juice or good vinegar and a quarter cup or
so of olive oil. Whisk. Couldn’t be easier. Get crazy and add herbs,
honey, anchovy, or minced garlic. Then do the same thing with
some clear oil your aunt might have used. If you can stand to taste
the latter, you’ll put your money on, and finish the former. How to
be sure you get the good stuff? Check your sources.
Yo’ Mama
So what to do if you were a Nebraska rancher in the 1800’s and
you wanted vinegar? You might hop a ship to Modena in Italy and