Most people don’t give much thought to vinegar, so they might be surprised to learn that there’s actually a holiday that celebrates it. This holiday is called National Vinegar Day, and it’s observed annually on November 1st. It’s a day when people can celebrate this aqueous solution of acetic acid, which may or may not contain additional flavorings.

After all, without vinegar, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy pickled foods, salad dressings, or a wide variety of other dishes. Sounds like a good reason to celebrate this holiday with your favorite type of vinegar.

The History of Vinegar

Unable to locate the people or organizations responsible for creating National Vinegar Day, we decided to research the history of vinegar instead. What we discovered is nothing short of amazing. If you have ever wondered when people started making vinegar, then you’re going to want to follow along as we lay out its history.

According to historians, vinegar is as old as civilization itself. Ancient scrolls dating back to the Babylonians have been found, and these scrolls contain vinegar recipes. That makes vinegar at least 5,000 years old, but it’s probably even older than that.

In Ancient Rome, Romans walked around with what they called posca—or drinking vinegar. Posca was a byproduct of winemaking and can be thought of as a slightly acidic wine. Vinegar was also used to keep armies hydrated during ancient times because groundwater was often contaminated.

Throughout history, vinegar has been an important ingredient for cooking and food preservation. It has always been used to add flavor to dishes or for pickling foods. It has also been traditionally used as a household cleaner—a practice that continues to this day.

The name “vinegar” comes from Middle English and is derived from the Old French words for “vyn” (sour) and “egre” (wine). These words would be changed into the Latin words “vinum” (wine) and “acer” (sour). It would eventually be shortened to “vinegar” in modern English.

A Quick Rundown of Different Vinegar Types

Although we can’t list all the different vinegar types, we can list some of the ones that we think are the most widely used today.

• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Malt Vinegar
• Red Wine Vinegar
• Rice Wine Vinegar
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Beer Vinegar
• White Vinegar

Observing National Vinegar Day

This day can be observed by taking time out of your day to learn a little bit more about vinegar. You can delve deeper into the history of this ingredient, or you can learn new recipes that utilize the versatility of vinegar.

While you’re buying and using your favorite types of vinegar, don’t forget to use the hashtag #NationalVinegarDay on your social media accounts to spread the word about this holiday.