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1.
Vinegar – a Sour Pleasure
It is one of the oldest flavourings and elixirs known to man. And yet a veritable vinegar boom ...read more
2.
Oh how exquisite!
The cuisine on Réunion was shaped by Indian, Chinese, African and European influences ...read more
3.
Quince
Apple or pear, that is the question. The answer is that it is neither one nor the other ...read more
4.
Luxembourg
With castle walls alongside modern architecture, French cuisine served in German portions ...read more
5.
Breakfast Pleasures
Delicious home-made preserves: Fresh fruits are perfect for making jam, jelly or marmalade ...read more
6.
Cooked with love
Fancy a cosy evening in? With dishes, cooked with love, there’s no longer anything to get in the way of a romantic ...read more
7.
The Ancients and the Sea
The land of crêpes and galettes is often underrated in culinary terms. Brittany also features great cooks ...read more
8.
The Harmony Of Diversity
The abundance of ingredients is incredible, and they change with the rhythm of the seasons, meeting our requirements ...read more
9.
Tiramisu
If there was ever a chart of the most popular desserts, this Italian speciality would be battling it out ...read more
10.
Marrakech
Morocco’s “Pearl of the South” captivates the senses, and offers the most bewitching of culinary delights ...read more
11.
Cooked to Perfection
Dry heat, steam and hot air all have their benefits as methods of cooking and all have their own particular appeal ...read more
12.
Ancient traditions by the sea
The land of crêpes and galettes has a cuisine which is often underestimated ...read more
13.
The taste of summer
In northern Europe the winters are long and dark, so it’s no surprise ...read more
14.
Cakes, Tarts & Co.
The weekly bake is a thing of the past. Ranging from sweet to spicy, these treats will have you at your oven daily ...read more
15.
Nothing could be easier!
Fine, light and digestible meat dishes – served with crisp vegetables and fresh herbs ...read more
16.
The Flavour of the South
The food of the Southern states is considered to be the most original in the United States of America ...read more
17.
Large Loaves and Small Rolls
There are as many recipes for bread and rolls are there are families and bakers ...read more
18.
Tasty fish, fresh from the sea
Sometimes spicy and aromatic, sometimes fried crispy, but always surprising ...read more
19.
The Queen’s Jelly
Do you know of any product which has been sold on the market for 660 years, or since 1339 to be precise ...read more
20.
All of a flutter
The tender meat of chicken, duck and goose can be used in a variety of dishes ...read more
21.
The Weisswurst as Such
In matters of sausages the Bavarian knows no compromise ...read more
22.
Finger Food – from Hand to Mouth
Small servings are in and are part of an international trend ...read more
23.
Cheddar
... is as English as teatime, cricket and “The Last Night of the Proms ...read more
24.
Heaven can wait!
Scientifically speaking, the Mediterranean sea is an area of 2.5 million square kilometres of water ...read more
25.
The good things in life are still out there...
A culinary voyage of discovery in Sarthe, including rose liqueur ...read more
26.
Culinary Tenerife
Sometimes rustic and hearty, sometimes creative and fine ...read more
27.
Save the planet – eat more kangaroo!
Scientific research really is amazing! Latest reports announced ...read more
28.
Mad about chocolate
It can be white, brown or black, it melts in the mouth ...read more
29.
A juicy proposition: Apple delights
There’s something wonderfully familiar and comforting about apples ...read more
30.
Lisbon – City of Many Faces
Wallpaper, the British cult magazine, recently included Lisbon ...read more
31.
Culinary Vienna
The Viennese simply don’t like being hungry. They love “their” cuisine ...read more
32.
Omelette
Probably the easiest egg dish in the world ...read more
33.
Marseille – beyond Africa
France’s second city is a multicultural mix of Provence and Africa ...read more
34.
Something fishy
The life of an anchovy or sardine is short ...read more
35.
A legenday dish
Hungarian cuisine is intertwined with the country’s folklore ...read more
36.
The marvel of Thai cuisine
Thai cooking is marvelled at as one of the most diverse in the world ...read more
37.
Schnitzel
Schnitzels vary from quick and easy, to complex and refined ...read more
38.
Fragrances of 1001 nights
Oriental cuisine is among the most sophisticated and richly aromatic ...read more
39.
Salad galore!
Dedicated cooks compose dishes like poems. The same is true to no lesser degree ...read more
40.
A flower for dessert
Flowers as a table decoration come as no surprise ...read more
41.
Everything Steamed
Cooking with steam is considered an especially gentle way of preparing food. Rightly so, as traditional Chinese cuisine ...read more
42.
Keeping Fit with Vitamins
Not long ago scientists were firmly convinced that they knew every vitamin ...read more
43.
Pasta per tutti!
Pasta for everyone: made from water or eggs and diverse kinds of flour ...read more
44.
Desserts – the sweet finale
Dessert is considered the pièce de résistance of any bill of fare ...read more
45.
Main thing starters
Whatever your sensual pleasure, anticipation always plays an important role ...read more
46.
Tutti frutti – fruit passion
Ever since Eve tasted the forbidden fruit from the tree ...read more
47.
Tomatoes – heavyweights of healthiness
Tomatoes are among the most popular vegetables in the world. These red, yellow ...read more
48.
Hot stuff!
Why do some people like their food spicy – so spicy that it brings tears ...read more
49.
Condiments – a certain something
They are the final touch: sauces, pesto and chutneys ...read more

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COOKING STORY
Vinegar – a Sour Pleasure
Photography: Jef Palau - Fotolia.com
Vinegar – a Sour Pleasure
It is one of the oldest flavourings and elixirs known to man. And yet a veritable vinegar boom has been taking place in the past few years. Ever more new varieties are coming onto the market – one more sophisticated and tasty than the next.


Man has been using vinegar for approximately 10,000 years: for flavouring, preserving, cleaning, healing and disinfecting, as a thirst quencher and as a cosmetic. For a long time vinegar was viewed as an unpredictable, accidental product of nature, created by bacteria converting sugar into alcohol.

It was not until 1864 that French biologist and chemist Louis Pasteur was able to unravel the secret of its origin: He discovered that tiny bacteria (from the Pseudomonaceae family) were responsible for converting alcohol into acetic acid.


A great number of stories and myths surround vinegar: In China the vinegar pot has been a symbol of life from time immemorial. In 4,000 BC “sour beer”, or alegar, was a fairly popular drink in Mesopotamia. Roman legionaries had “posca”, vinegar diluted with water, in their canteens. It was not only supposed to quench their thirst, but also to protect them from colds.

In ancient Greece rose petals pickled in vinegar were used to alleviate inflammations, skin swelling and even sunburns. The writer Athenaeus (ca. 200 AD) reported in one of the volumes of his “Deipnosophistae” (Dinner-table philosophers) that the Greeks and Romans placed high demands on the quality of vinegar. At the height of favour at that time was Egyptian vinegar, which is likely to have been produced from figs.

It is reported that Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra once wagered that she could put together a meal costing a million sesterces for just one person (a large family could have lived very lavishly on this sum for quite a number of years). Cleopatra had exquisite foods delivered and ordered a very special drink along with them: It was pearls valued at a million sesterces dissolved in vinegar. This was how the beautiful pharaoh won the bet.

When the plague or “black death” was raging in Marseille in 1720 no one dared enter the houses of the dead for fear of becoming infected. Except for four thieves. They took everything that appeared valuable to them, but were spared from pestilence.

When they were finally caught and were to be beheaded, they negotiated leniency in exchange for their secret: They had rubbed themselves down with vinegar infused with camphor and a variety of herbs, and also rinsed out their mouths with this mixture.

The thieves were “only” hanged – and their secret recipe went down in history as “Four Thieves Vinegar”. Vinegar is currently reaching its provisional culmination as a fancy digestif in high-end gastronomy.


Vinegar is not all the same
According to the German “Ordinance on the dealings with vinegar and vinegar essence” the sour spice must contain at least 5 and at most 15.5 grams of acetic acid per 100 millilitres of liquid. Everything exceeding this is vinegar essence (up to 25 grams).

Brandy or table vinegar is produced from 96% industrial alcohol (made from sugar beet molasses, potatoes or grain), vinegar and water. It is colourless, has approx. 5 per cent acidity and a fresh-acidic aroma.

True wine vinegar is 100 per cent made from white or red wine, primarily originating from the Mediterranean area. It is characterized by approx. 6 per cent acidity and a finely acidic taste of wine, with red wine vinegar being a bit stronger and white wine vinegar having a somewhat milder taste.

Wine vinegar is a mixture of brandy and true wine vinegar (20 to 40 per cent). Being a bit more neutral in flavour, it is very well suited for herb vinegars.

Fruit vinegar: A common flavour of fruit vinegar is apple cider vinegar. It is made from apples and cider. Both fully ripe fruit as well as apple waste can be used.

Sherry vinegar (Vinagre de Jerez) comes from the Jerez region in Andalucía and, like sherry, is aged in oak barrels. It has a least 7 per cent acidity and is aged in barrels for either 6 months (Crianza) or 2 years (Reserva).

Balsamic vinegar (Aceto balsamico di Modena tradizionale) may only be produced in the Italian provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia. It consists exclusively of the concentrated must (juice) of Tebbiano or Lambrusco grapes and must be aged for at least 12 years in wooden barrels. Depending on age, 0.1 litres costs up to 100 euros. If “tradizionale” is missing from the name it is a cheap, mostly overpriced industrial product.