A naturally tart organic acid found in apples, pears, grapes, and many other fruits, responsible for much of their sour bite. It was first isolated from apple juice in 1785 by the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele, and takes its name from the Latin malum, "apple." In cooking and food production it's used as an acidity regulator and flavor enhancer, adding tartness to candies, jams, and beverages, and helping stabilize pH in pickled products. It's also produced synthetically for the same purposes; the naturally occurring L-malic acid form is generally preferred over synthetic D-malic acid in food applications.