Different acids taste different
All acids taste sour, but each has a personality. Citric acid in lemon is bright. Acetic acid in vinegar is volatile, so it smells sharp. Lactic acid in yogurt is milder. Malic acid is the crisp tartness in green apples.
Match the acid to the dish
Vinegar is the standard acid for dressings and quick pickles. Buttermilk and yogurt add creamy tang to batters and dips. Lemon and lime finish fish, salsa and fruit. Swap one for another and it stays sour, but tastes different.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
Which acid do you reach for to brighten a plate of seared fish?
Lemon juice, with its citric brightness. Citric acid is quick and fresh, and lemon oils add aroma.
True or false: Lemon juice and vinegar taste basically the same, because sour is sour.
False. Lemon juice and vinegar contain different acids, so they taste and smell different.
What went wrong? You finish steamed white fish with a splash of distilled vinegar. The dish smells harsh.
Acetic acid is pungent and overpowers the fish. Acetic acid is volatile, so vinegar smells sharp. Lemon juice is gentler.
Fill the blank: Yogurt and buttermilk get their mild, creamy tang from ___ acid.
Yogurt and buttermilk get their mild, creamy tang from lactic acid. Lactic acid bacteria make it as they ferment milk sugar.
True or false: Vinegar smells sharper than lemon juice because acetic acid is volatile.
True. Acetic acid is volatile, so vinegar smells sharp. Citric acid in lemon juice isn't volatile.
Which acid gives buttermilk its tang, and what does it do with baking soda in a cake?
Lactic; it reacts with baking soda to make gas. The acid-base reaction releases carbon dioxide, which lifts the batter.