If you’re heading to your local chippy for Good Friday, you might be surprised to learn why the vinegar you glug all over your meal tastes different to the bottle you use at home
There’s nothing quite like a huge glug of vinegar all over your fish and chips – but your local chippy has been keeping a secret about the condiment.
Rather than vinegar, it’s actually something that resembles it – and people have been left feeling rather short-changed about the revelation. Youtuber Tom Scott broke the startling news on his channel, shocking chippy fans, claiming that what you’re pouring over your meal is actually a non-brewed condiment instead of vinegar.
According to reports, the chippy variety is a malt vinegar substitute made with water, acetic acid, and flavourings. In his video titled ‘The Fake Vinegar in British Fish and Chip Shops,’ Tom argues that chip shops shouldn’t disguise the vinegar substitute, and should be transparent that it’s not the real deal.
“Most people don’t know that this isn’t vinegar. Legally, it can’t be described as vinegar. Trading standards are really clear on that. It cannot be put in the little bottles that people traditionally associate with vinegar.”
The two products look identical and only taste slightly different too – so you probably won’t be able to tell the difference, reports WalesOnline. The publication adds that chip owners opt to replace ‘real’ vinegar with its alternative because it is cheaper to buy.
Generally, a non-brewed condiment takes less time to make than the real deal and it can be bought in a concentrated form.
Some people have been left bothered by the shocking revelation, however. One person said: “Does it matter”? Yes, it does. My whole life I have wondered why I could never replicate the taste of chip shop vinegar at home. Now I know the truth.”
Another person added: “I always wondered why I couldn’t get the same vinegar taste on my chips at home. Now I know and all this has done is push me into finding somewhere that sells ‘non-brewed condiment’.”
A third person chimed in: “Always wondered why I could never find vinegar that tasted like chip shop vinegar and now I know, it’s because it isn’t vinegar I’m after. Thank you dude!”
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