Vinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, produced by the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria.
Think of vinegar like a sour candy. Just as sour candies get their tangy taste from citric acid, vinegar gets its distinctive tart flavor from acetic acid.
Acetic Acid: This is an organic compound with the chemical formula CH3COOH. It gives vinegar its acidic properties and distinctive smell and taste.
Fermentation: This is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In the case of vinegar, it's the process that transforms ethanol into acetic acid.
Ethanol: A volatile, flammable, colorless liquid - it's the alcohol present in alcoholic beverages. In terms of vinegar production, it's fermented to produce acetic acid.
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