modena balsamic vinegar
aged balsamic Vinegar
is a authentic thick flavoured vinegar commonly used
in Tuscan gourmet cooking. It is typically used as a salad
vinaigrette when combined with vinegar or as a marinade. It
is a traditional import that was developed in Modena, Italy,
where it has been Produced since the Middle Ages and the
name is protected by the Italian government. Unlike
table vinegars, it is very dark and viscous with a complex,
sweet taste and is much more expensive. True Balsamic
vinegar has been aged fifteen years and upwards.
The best balsamico vinegars
have no other ingredients added to them - only
the trebbiano grapes. Lesser common vinegars will include brown sugar or caramel
to imitate the sweetness of the authentic balsamic vinegars. If a company
makes a "traditional" aged balsamic vinegar,
they will also create a less expensive, but quality
vinegar as well.
View
our free Gourmet Balsamic Recipes.
Oil and vinegar Balsamic Vinaigrettes.
Balsamic vinegar is Produced
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 balsamico vinegar,
with a slow aging procedure
done in wood casks that concentrates
the flavours. The flavor is magnified over decades,
with the balsamic vinegar being kept in fine oak barrels, becoming
sweet, viscous and very concentrated in flavour. Some
older balsamico 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 begins the long dehydration and aging process
that makes aged balsamic vinegar unusual. 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 ruin the flavour.
As a key component
in vinaigrette dressings, balsamic goes
especially well with olive oil. Olive oil-balsamic
vinaigrette is outstanding with lobster and scallops,
spinach and asparagus. A balsamic salad dressing does well
with winter veggies such as carrots, turnips, squash
and sweet potatoes, as well as new 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.
