balsamic vinager
aged balsamic Vinegar
is a authentic heavy flavored vinegar usually used
in Italian recipes. It is sometimes used as a salad
vinaigrette when combined with olive oil or as a marinade. It
is a traditional product developed in Modena, Italy,
where it has been Made since the Middle Ages and the
name is protected by the Italian government. Unlike
common vinegars, it is very dark and heavy with a complex,
sweet taste and is much more expensive. True Balsamic
vinegar has been aged in casks 15 years or more.
The best balsamico vinegars
have nothing else added to them - only
the grapes. Lesser ones will include brown sugar or caramel
to mimic the sweetness of the authentic balsamic vinegars. If a company
makes a "traditional" aged balsamic vinegar,
they will also create a less costly, but high quality
vinegar as well.
View
our free Gourmet Balsamic Recipes.
Oil and vinegar Balsamic Salad dressings.
Balsamic vinegar is Made
by concentrated white grapes (typically,
trebbiano grapes) that has been boiled down to approximately
50% ("must") and fermenting that into alcohol.
It is then once again fermented to balsamic vinegar,
with a slow aging process
done in wood barrels that concentrates
the flavors. The flavour is magnified over years,
with the aged balsamic vinegar being kept in fine oak barrels, becoming
sweet, thick and very concentrated in flavor. Some
older balsamic vinegar is added to the "must"
to produce a more complex and intricate taste, and to
add acidity.
The thick syrup is transferred
to oak casks to ferment in the open
air and then starts the long dehydration and aging process
that makes aged balsamico vinegar unique. Balsamic vinegar
does not deteriorate after opening as oxygen is part
of the aging process, you can appreciate your finest bottle
and use it on special occasions. Do
not heat or cook balsamic vinegar
as it will destroy the flavour.
As a key ingredient
in vinaigrette dressings, balsamic pairs
especially well with olive oil. Olive oil-balsamic
vinaigrette is wonderful with lobster and scallops,
artichokes and asparagus. A balsamic salad dressing 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.
