18 year aged balsamic
aged balsamic Vinegar
is a traditional thick flavored vinegar typically used
in Tuscan cooking. It is sometimes used as a salad
dressing when combined with virgin olive oil or as a marinade. It
is a traditional import developed in Modena, Italy,
where it has been Created since the Middle Ages and the
name is protected by the Italian government. Unlike
table vinegars, it is very dark and heavy with a complex,
sweet taste and is much more pricey. True Balsamico
vinegar has been aged fifteen years and upwards.
The primo balsamic vinegars
have nothing else added to them - only
the trebbiano grapes. Lesser ones will add brown sugar or caramel
to imitate the sweetness of the better ones. If a company
makes a "traditional" balsamic vinegar,
they will also produce a less costly, but quality
vinegar as well.
View
our complimentary Balsamic Recipes.
Oil and vinegar Balsamic Vinaigrettes.
Balsamic vinegar is Made
by reduced white grapes (typically,
trebbiano grapes) that has been boiled down to about
50% ("must") and fermenting that into alcohol.
It is then once again fermented to balsamico vinegar,
with a slow aging procedure
done in wood casks that concentrates
the flavours. The flavor is magnified over decades,
with the vinegar being kept in fine wood barrels, becoming
sweet, viscous and very concentrated in flavor. Some
aged balsamic vinegar is added to the "must"
to produce a more complex and intricate taste, and to
add acidity.
The syrup is transferred
to oak casks to ferment in the open
air and then starts the long dehydration and aging process
that makes aged balsamic vinegar striking and unique. Balsamic vinegar
does not deteriorate after opening as oxygen is part
of the aging process, you can cherish your finest bottle
and use it on special occasions. Do
not overheat or cook balsamic vinegar
as it will destroy the taste.
As a key component
in vinaigrette dressings, balsamic blends
especially well with olive oil. Olive oil-balsamic
vinaigrette is wonderful with lobster,
artichokes and asparagus. A balsamic vinaigrette does well
with winter vegetables such as carrots, turnips, squash
and sweet potatoes, as well as fresh mixed greens or
baby spinach.
The Mediterranean diet,
characterized by cuisine such as Italian food, has been
gaining popularity in North America, where the consumption
of traditional Mediterranean foods, such as cold pressed
olive oil and balsamic vinegar, has been increasing.
Many people are finding this diet as a healthy alternative
to fatty foods and deep fried food preparation.
