Citric Acid

What it is

A pure crystalline organic acid, sold as a fine white powder ("sour salt" in some traditions). It is sourness in its most concentrated, flavorless-but-tart form.

How it's made

Once extracted from citrus, it is now produced almost entirely by fermenting glucose or molasses with the mold Aspergillus niger, which yields high-purity citric acid crystals — a major industrial fermentation.

Flavor profile

Sharp, clean, intense sourness with no aroma or fruit character — pure acid tang. A pinch sours powerfully.

Culinary uses

Used where precise, neutral sourness is wanted: as "sour salt" in Ashkenazi Jewish cooking (borscht, sweet-and-sour dishes, some matzo-ball broths), in cheese-making (acidifying milk for ricotta and paneer), in candies and sour coatings, in beverages, and as a preservative and pH adjuster. It sours without adding liquid or fruit flavor. In modernist and food-science cooking it is the controllable, shelf-stable acid.

Regional variations

Functionally identical worldwide; cultural use varies (the "sour salt" tradition of Eastern European Jewish kitchens is the most distinctive culinary identity for it).

Cultural & historical context

Citric acid bridged home cooking and industry: "sour salt" let cooks add reliable tartness before fresh citrus was cheap and year-round, and it became foundational to processed food and the modernist pantry.

Reference notes

• Tags: acid, sour-base, crystalline, sour-salt, fermentation-produced, functional
• Related ingredients: ascorbic acid, lemon, sumac
• Related cuisines: Ashkenazi Jewish, global food-science
• Suggested Cuisinopedia links: Ascorbic Acid, Borscht, Paneer