Food & Drink · 2

Which acid gives vinegar its characteristic sour taste?

Answer

Acetic acid

Vinegar gets its sharp sour flavor mainly from acetic acid, which forms when alcohol is fermented by acetic acid bacteria. Different vinegars vary by source ingredient and aging.

💡 Did you know?

Vinegar is produced when acetic acid bacteria transform alcohol into acetic acid in the presence of oxygen.

Other options people guess

  • Citric acid
  • Lactic acid
  • Malic acid

Topics

  • replacement-bank
  • legacy-cleanup
  • food-science

Know your food & drink trivia?

Play a free Food & Drink quiz and see how many you get right — no signup needed to start.

More Food & Drink facts