The market · Acids and agents

Lactic acid

The acid of yoghurt, sourdough and pickles — a soft, round, faintly dairy sourness with no citrus flavour.

soft · milky · round

What to do with it

Ibu Sari's Beef rendangLactic acid would cut through its richnessAna Etxarri's Pil pilLactic acid would cut through its richnessTolu Adeyemi's SuyaLactic acid would cut through its richnessTolu Adeyemi's Rendang, the Lagos wayLactic acid would cut through its richness

If you can't find it

Homebrew shops and online.

  1. 1Citric acid
    A little less
    You lose the soft, rounded, yoghurty sourness.

Goes with

tartaric acidmilktomato juicesake

Knowing it

Where to buy
Home-brewing suppliers sell it as an 80–88% liquid; powdered lactic acid is usually blended with calcium lactate and weaker. Check the strength before you scale a recipe.
Worth knowing
Because it's a solution, 10g of 80% liquid is 8g of acid. It's the gentlest acid — useful in milk punches and savoury drinks where citric would taste of lemon.

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