It’s healthy.

Vinegar wards off infections, promotes digestion, and fights osteoporosis.

It’s low-cal; only five calories per tablespoon (!), and it’s a cooking essential; as a result, more types and flavors show up in supermarkets and gourmet shops every day.

Here’s a rundown of five basic ones:

White Distilled Vinegar-This is the most common type.

It’s made from grain alcohol and has a clean, sour taste that won’t clash with other flavors.

Because of that factor, it’s ideal for pickling vegetables or making a barbecue sauce where you want the spices to be ‘front and center.’

I love putting a tablespoon of this on French fries and steamed greens.

And it’s great for cleaning up any food messes (or other ones) later-it’s a natural bleach and it gets rid of odors.

Apple Cider Vinegar is also easy to find.

Made from fermented apple cider, the fruity flavor is milder and mellower that that of distilled vinegar.

Add a tablespoon (or two) to salads and marinades for pork and poultry (this is sensational on-and within-a pork roast!).

Cider vinegar’s antibacterial ingredients make this a good throat gargle.

White Wine Vinegar-It’s light, pungent, and is the base of most herb-infused vinegars, because it lets the herb flavors shine through.

It’s a stable in practically every Mediterranean kitchen.

Red Wine Vinegar is a robust variety used to make flavored vinegars using berries and chilies.

Both red and white wine vinegars are staples in Mediterranean households.

Both can be used to season salads and add depth to main dishes.

Balsamic Vinegar-This can drastically change any dish you add it to.

Aged three years or more in barrels, the juice from Trebbiano grapes grown in Modena, Italy results in an almost syrupy, dark and sweet liquid that brings rich flavor to meat, vegetables, and even fruit.

Yum Yum!