balsamic vinegar
aged balsamic Vinegar
is a traditional heavy flavored vinegar ordinarily used
in Italian gourmet cooking. It is frequently used as a salad
dressing when combined with olive oil or as a marinade. It
is a traditional import originating in Modena, Italy,
where it has been Created since the Middle Ages and the
name is protected by the Italian government. Unlike
most common vinegars, it is dark and heavy with a complex,
sweet taste and is much more pricey. True Balsamico
vinegar has been aged 15 years or more.
The finest balsamic vinegars
have nothing else added to them - only
the grapes. Lesser common vinegars will add brown sugar or caramel
to imitate the sweetness of the true balsamico. If a company
makes a "traditional" aged balsamic vinegar,
they will also develop a less expensive, but quality
vinegar as well.
View
our complimentary Balsamic Recipes.
Oil and vinegar Balsamic 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 casks that concentrates
the flavours. The flavor is heightened over years,
with the balsamic vinegar being kept in fine oak 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 begins the long evaporation and aging process
that makes aged balsamic vinegar unique. Balsamic vinegar
does not degenerate after opening as oxygen is part
of the aging process, you can appreciate your best bottle
and use it on special recipes. Do
not heat or cook balsamic vinegar
as it will destroy the flavour.
As a key component
in vinaigrette dressings, balsamic pairs
particularly well with olive oil. Olive oil-balsamic
vinaigrette is outstanding with scallops,
fresh spinach 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.
