Introduction: apple cider vinegar and apple cider vinegar drink are not the same thing. In daily cooking, we often use aged vinegar, rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar and other grain vinegar. Then what is apple cider vinegar? What is the difference between apple cider vinegar and apple cider vinegar drink?

Fruit vinegar to westerners is the same as the common Chinese “aged vinegar”. Only, the West prefers to use fruits to brew vinegar, while China prefers to use grains to brew vinegar.

In the supermarket, apple cider vinegar is in the condiment counter, and apple cider vinegar drink is in the beverage counter. As the name suggests, one is vinegar and the other is beverage.

So how exactly are they different?

Definition of Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is divided into brewing fruit vinegar and prepared fruit vinegar.

Brewing fruit vinegar: according to the industry standard of the People’s Republic of China “SB/T 10174-1993 Classification of Vinegar”, apple cider vinegar belongs to one kind of fruit vinegar in brewing vinegar, and it is brewing vinegar made of various fruits as the main raw material.

Prepared Fruit Vinegar: According to SB/T 10337-2012 Prepared Vinegar, it is a kind of flavored vinegar made from brewing vinegar and mixed with glacial acetic acid.

Generally, the total acidity (in terms of acetic acid, i.e. acetic acid) of brewed fruit vinegar is higher than that of prepared fruit vinegar. For brewed vinegar, the higher the acidity, the better the quality. Apple cider vinegar is generally suitable for cold dishes, salads, and other cooking methods. It can also be added to sugar water, fruit juice, and honey to be used in drinks.

Figure 1: Liquid fermentation with only ingredients apple juice and water. The total acidity was greater than or equal to 5.00g of acetic acid in 100ml of apple cider vinegar.

Figure 2: Brewed vinegar based on the addition of apple juice concentrate, edible alcohol, edible flavor, and yeast extract.

Apple juice concentrate refers to the purification of the original apple juice, the water is reduced, the volume reaches half of the original apple juice, and the density of nutrients is increased. Apple juice concentrate is easy to use and easy to transport. Unlike the original juice, if not used immediately will occur enzymatic browning, although the nutrients basically not much change, but the color becomes brown, affecting the aesthetic processing.

Adding edible alcohol, one convenient to reduce costs, another convenient to shorten the fermentation time.

Edible flavorings can play a role in adjusting the flavor, making apple cider vinegar – sour and soft.

Yeast extract can play a role in increasing freshness.

Common Misconceptions

According to the national standard GB/T 30884-2014 Apple Cider Vinegar Beverage, apple cider vinegar beverage is a beverage made from apple cider vinegar for beverages as the basic raw material, which can be added with table sugar and/or sweeteners and apple juice.

Apple cider vinegar for beverage is a liquid product made of apple, apple trimmings or concentrated apple juice (pulp) as raw material by alcoholic fermentation and acetic acid fermentation.

As shown in the picture: ingredient list: purified water, brewed apple cider vinegar, fruit glucose syrup, honey. Just brewed apple cider vinegar as the basic raw material, added fructose syrup, honey. Fructose glucose syrup is a mixed liquid of glucose and fructose obtained by a certain process of catalyzing starch, which contains a higher content of glucose than fructose. Qualified honey sugar content of more than 80%, mainly glucose and fructose, but also a small portion of sucrose.

Myth 1: Apple cider vinegar has beauty, weight loss and slimming effects.

Apple cider vinegar belongs to a kind of vinegar, with the sterilization of vinegar, promote digestion, increase the role of salt, with apple vitamins, minerals and polyphenol compounds and other components. It is said that “apple cider vinegar has detoxification and skin care because it contains a lot of vitamins and antioxidants to promote metabolism.” In fact, the apple itself has these substances, directly nibble on the apple is not more economical.

Apples are rich in water and dietary fiber, volume and density of small, strong sense of satiety, which reduces energy intake, help to maintain a healthy weight.

Therefore, there is a “beauty, weight loss and slimming” effect, exaggerated its role. Moreover, there is no scientific evidence to prove the efficacy of apple cider vinegar in this aspect of the study. Expect apple cider vinegar to beauty and weight loss, is not reliable.

Myth 2: Apple cider vinegar drink, I heard that the health care efficacy is good, to drink more.

In this way, it seems that it belongs to the series of sweet drinks with the addition of fruit glucose syrup and honey. Although brewing apple cider vinegar, with vinegar sterilization, promote digestion, increase the role of salty, with apple vitamins, minerals and polyphenol compounds and other components. However, its sugar content is high, so its intake should be reduced. Excessive intake of sugar increases the risk of diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, and dental caries.

In conclusion, just think of apple cider vinegar as a vinegar and consume it, and think of apple cider vinegar drink just as a beverage and drink it.