vinegar
Vinegar is a versatile ingredient. From marinades to salad dressings, and even a disinfectant, this is an ingredient in almost every pantry.
Vinegar was discovered quite by accident like many products that we use every day.
Basically vinegar was discovered from wine left too long that it turned sour. In ancient times the Romans used vinegar in a beverage, and the Babylonians used it as a condiment, a preservative, and began adding herbs to it. Salad dressing anybody?
Vinegar was also used for medicinal purposes by the ancient Greeks, and during the American Civil War.
A versatile ingredient indeed!