balsamic vinager
balsamic Vinegar
is a traditional thick flavored vinegar commonly used
in Tuscan gourmet cooking. It is sometimes used as a salad
vinaigrette when combined with oil or as a marinade. It
is a traditional food product originating in Modena, Italy,
where it has been Made since the Middle Ages and the
name is protected by the Italian government. Unlike
table vinegars, it is very dark and thick with a complex,
sweet flavor and is much more costly. True Aged balsamic
vinegar has been aged in casks 15 years and upwards.
The primo aged balsamic vinegars
have nothing else added to them - only
the grapes. Lesser common vinegars will include brown sugar or caramel
to mimic the sweetness of the balsamic vinegars. If a company
makes a "traditional" balsamic vinegar,
they will also make a less expensive, but high quality
vinegar as well.
View
our free Gourmet Balsamic Recipes.
Oil and vinegar Balsamic Salad dressings.
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 process
done in oak barrels that concentrates
the flavors. The flavour is heightened over decades,
with the aged balsamic vinegar being kept in fine wood barrels, becoming
sweet, viscous and very concentrated in flavour. Some
older balsamic vinegar is added to the "must"
to create 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 begins the long dehydration and aging process
that makes aged balsamico vinegar striking and unique. Balsamic vinegar
does not go bad after opening as oxygen is part
of the aging process, you can cherish your finest bottle
and use it on special occasions. Do
not heat or cook balsamic vinegar
as it will ruin the taste.
As a key ingredient
in vinaigrette dressings, balsamic goes
especially well with olive oil. Olive oil-balsamic
vinaigrette is outstanding with scallops,
spinach and asparagus. A balsamic dressing does well
with winter vegetables such as carrots, turnips, squash
and sweet potatoes, as well as spring 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.
