traditional balsamic vinegar adds a flair to gourmet cooking. A gourmet kitchen without aged balsamic vinegar is hard to imagine. Less than 20 years ago, aged balsamic was nearly an unnoticeable Italian ingredient. Now, cooks utilize it more and more. A couple drops of the very best aged balsamic on ripe berries, bartlett pears, or other fruit is the traditional combination to end a meal.