1. Fruit
Fruit vinegars are made from fruit wines usually without any additional flavoring. Common flavors of fruit vinegar include apple, black currant, raspberry, quince, and tomato. Typically, the flavors of the original fruits remain in the final product.
Most fruit vinegars are produced in Europe, where there is a growing market for high-priced vinegars made solely from specific fruits (as opposed to non-fruit vinegars which are infused with fruits or fruit flavors). However, several varieties are also produced in Asia. Persimmon vinegar, called gamsik cho (°¨½ÄÃÊ), is popular in South Korea. Jujube vinegarphoto (called ?õ³ or ??õ³ in Chinese) and wolfberry vinegarphoto (called Ϯѣõ³ in Chinese) are produced in China.
Umezu (ØÞõ²; often translated as "umeboshi vinegar" or "ume vinegar"), a salty, sour liquid that is a by-product of umeboshi (pickled ume) production, is produced in Japan but is technically not a true vinegar.

2. White
White vinegar can be made by oxidizing a distilled alcohol. Alternatively, it may be nothing more than a solution of acetic acid and salt in water. Most commercial white vinegars are 5% acetic acid solutions, although some US states such as Virginia have laws prohibiting the sale as vinegar of any product not made from acetous fermentation of alcohol. They are made from grain (often maize) and water. White vinegar is used for culinary as well as cleaning purposes because vinegar can also be used for sterilization.

3. Malt
Malt vinegar is made by malting barley, causing the starch in the grain to turn to maltose. An ale is then brewed from the maltose and allowed to turn into vinegar, which is then aged. It is typically light brown in color. However, most supermarket vinegar is actually extracted from beetroot.
A cheaper alternative, called "non-brewed condiment," is a solution of 4-8% acetic acid colored with caramel (usually E150). There is also around 1-3% citric acid present. Non-brewed condiment is more popular in the North of England, and gained popularity with the rise of the Temperance movement.

4. Wine
Wine vinegar is made from red or white wine, and is the most commonly used vinegar in Mediterranean countries and Central Europe. As with wine, there is a considerable range in quality. Better quality wine vinegars are matured in wood for up to two years and exhibit a complex, mellow flavor. Wine vinegar tends to have a lower acidity than that of white or cider vinegars. There are more expensive wine vinegars made from individual varieties of wine, such as Champagne, Sherry, or pinot grigio.

5. Apple cider
Apple cider vinegar, otherwise known simply as cider vinegar, is made from cider or apple must, and is often sold unfiltered, with a brownish-yellow color; it often contains mother of vinegar. It is very popular, partly due to its beneficial health and beauty properties. Due to its acidity, apple cider vinegar can be very harsh, even burning the throat. If taken straight (as opposed to usage in cooking), it should be diluted (e.g. with fruit juice) before drinking.[citation needed] Others dilute it with warm water and add some honey.[3] There have been reports of acid chemical burns of the throat in using the pill form.

6. Balsamic
Balsamic vinegar is an aromatic, aged type of vinegar traditionally manufactured in Modena, Italy, from the concentrated juice, or must, of white grapes (typically of the Trebbiano variety). It is very dark brown in color and its flavor is rich, sweet, and complex, with the finest grades being the product of years of aging in a successive number of casks made of various types of wood (including oak, mulberry, chestnut, cherry, juniper, ash, and acacia). Originally an artisanal product available only to the Italian upper classes, balsamic vinegar became widely known and available around the world in the late 20th century. True balsamic is aged for between 3 and 12 years. One can sometimes even find balsamic vinegars that have been aged for up to 100 years, though they are very expensive. The commercial balsamic sold in supermarkets is typically made with red wine vinegar or concentrated grape juice mixed with a strong vinegar which is laced with caramel and sugar. However produced, balsamic needs to be made from a grape product.
Balsamic has a high acid level, but the sweetness covers the tart flavor, making it very mellow.

7. A bottle of rice vinegar produced in Guangdong, China
Rice vinegar is most popular in the cuisines of East and Southeast Asia. It is available in white (actually light yellow), red, and black variants. The Japanese prefer a light and more delicate rice vinegar for the preparation of sushi rice and salad dressings. Red rice vinegar is traditionally colored with red yeast rice, although some Chinese brands use artificial food coloring instead. Black rice vinegar (made with black glutinous rice) is most popular in China, although it is also produced in Japan (see East Asian black, below). It may be used as a substitute for balsamic vinegar, although its dark color and the fact that it is aged may be the only similarity between the two products.
Some varieties of rice vinegar are sweetened or otherwise seasoned with spices or other added flavorings.

Culinary uses
Vinegar is commonly used in food preparation, particularly in pickling processes, vinaigrettes, and other salad dressings. It is an ingredient in sauces such as mustard, ketchup, and mayonnaise. Vinegar is an essential component of chutneys. It is often used as a condiment. Marinades often contain vinegar.

Medicinal uses
Many remedies and treatments have been ascribed to vinegar over millennia in many different cultures. However, few have been verifiable using controlled medical trials and several that are effective to some extent have significant risks and side effects.

1. Cholesterol
A scientific study published in 2006 concluded that a test group of rats fed with acetic acid (the main component of vinegar) had "significantly lower values for serum total cholesterol and triacylglycerols", among other health benefits.

2.Blood glucose control and diabetic management
Small amounts of vinegar (approx. 20 ml or two tablespoons of domestic vinegar) added to food, or taken along with a meal, have been shown by a number of medical trials to reduce the glycemic index of carbohydrate food for people with and without diabetes. This has also been expressed as lower glycemic index ratings in the region of 30%.

3. Diet control
Multiple trials indicate that taking vinegar with food increases satiety (the feeling of fullness) and so reduces the amount of food consumed. Even a single application of vinegar can lead to reduced food intake for a whole day.

4. Treatment for jellyfish stings
Applying vinegar to jellyfish stings deactivates the nematocysts. However, placing the affected areas in hot water is a more effective treatment because the venom is deactivated by heat. The latter requires immersion in 45 degrees Celsius (113 F) water for at least four minutes for the pain to be reduced to less than what would be accomplished using vinegar.[16] However, vinegar should not be applied to Portuguese man o' war stings, since their venom is different and vinegar can actually cause the nematocysts to discharge their venom, making the pain worse.[17] The hot water immersion or cold ice pack treatments have been shown to be the best for treatment of Portuguese man o' war stings.

5. Traditional and anecdotal treatments
Hippocrates prescribed vinegar for many ailments, from skin rash to ear infection.
Vinegar is a folk medicine used in China to prevent the spread of viruses such as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and other pneumonia outbreaks:
In February 2003, an outbreak in China's Guangdong province of an atypical pneumonia caused massive demand and soaring prices for vinegar, isatis root, and other medicines believed to to be useful in killing the infectious agent.
The therapeutic use of vinegar is recorded in the second verse of the nursery rhyme ¡°Jack and Jill¡±: ¡°Went to bed and bound his head/With vinegar and brown paper.¡± As with some nursery rhymes, there is truth in the story. The vinegar used would likely have been cider vinegar.
Apple cider vinegar in particular is often touted as a medical aid, from cancer prevention to alleviation of joint pain to weight loss.[20] Claims of its benefits go back at least to Hippocrates. In 1958, D. C. Jarvis made the remedy popular with a bestseller that has sold over one million copies.
Many people used to believe the popular urban myth that vinegar was also a cure to mild to moderate sunburn when soaked on the area with a towel or in a bath much like covering a burn with butter.
Vinegar is also claimed to be a solution to dandruff, in that the acid in the vinegar kills the fungus Malassezia furfur (formerly known as Pityrosporum ovale) and restores the chemical balance of the skin.
Apple cider vinegar is used as a household remedy for common warts.

6. Veterinary treatment
Vinegar along with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is used in the livestock industry to kill bacteria and viruses before refrigeration storage. A chemical mixture of peracetic acid is formed when acetic acid is mixed with hydrogen peroxide. It is being used in some Asian countries by aerosol sprays for control of pneumonia. A mixture of five-percent acetic acid and three-percent hydrogen peroxide is commonly used.[citation needed]

This article incorporates text from Citizendium which been licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License