Tartaric acid is an organic acid. It is white and crystalline. It is found in many plants like tamarinds or gropes for instance. It is also found in wine. It is added to food to give it a sour flavor. Tartrates are salts of tartaric acid. The Persian Alchemist Jabir Hayyan was the first to isolate tartaric acid from potassium tartrate in 800.

In 1969 Carl Wilhelm Scheele developed the modern process for obtaining tartaric acid. Jean Baptiste Biot discovered its chirality in 1832. Louis Pasteur found that the crystals of tartaric acid were not symmetrical. He was the first person to produce levotartic acid in its pure form. Chiral is tartaric acid when it occurs naturally. It is used in organic chemistry to synthesise other chiral molecules.

 Tartaric acid is a carbon based organic compound. It is officially known 2, 3-dihydroxybutanedioic acid. The formula of tartaric acid is C4H6O6. Tartaric acid is used making silver mirrors as well as in tanning leather. It is also used in the preparation of soft drinks and Rochelle salt. In cuisine, tartaric acid is used to prepare the cream of tarter. There is a significance of tartaric acid in medical science as it helps in determining the presence of glucose. It is also found in baking powder where it reacts as the source of acid that interacts with sodium bicarbonate. Tartaric acid is easily found in nature – for example, in various types of fruits as well as in wine. Tartaric acid is also available in the form of salt. The most common forms are calcium tartrate, potassium tartrate and sodium tartrate.