That Sweet and Precious Aceto

Balsamic vinegar from Modena ideal in all Italian dishes

Every time I visit my zia Paulina I look forward to eating the delicious salad she prepares for me. She uses very simple ingredients, depending on the season, just tomatoes, greens, cucumbers and olives. But the most delicious thing is its dressing. Both tangy and sweet at the same time. The secret ingredient, I discovered was a drop of balsamic vinegar.
Balsamic vinegar is a sharp-smelling, blackish-brown variety of vinegar that has become among the most popular today in North America. Its trademark sweet and tart taste partners well with everything from salads and sauces to desserts and is particularly important in Italian cuisine.
It's not known for sure how and when the balsamic vinegar was born. The first historic documents that mention it date back to 1046, when in a chronicle of the benedictine Donizone, the Marquis of Modena gave a small barrel of vinegar to the Holy Roman Emperor Henry III as a present. At this time it was a product that was usually reserved for royalty or as a present for very important people.
Today, true Balsamic is reserved for those who can afford it. Traditionally they're made from Trebbiano, Lambrusco and Ancellotta grapes cultivated on the slopes in the province of Modena. Here in the area situated between the Secchia river valley and the left of the Reno river, balsamic vinegar is being made very differently from other vinegars.
Each year, the grapes are harvested as late as they can to receive as much sun and warmth as possible. Then the grapes are crushed and the resulting must is filtered. It's placed into large vats and boiled over an open flame to reduce its volume and increase the sugar level.
Once reduced, the liquid is cooled down and poured into large oak barrels. After its maturation in the oak barrels, the must is poured in decreasing progression into smaller barrels of different types of wood. Each wood gives a different flavour to the vinegar: for the remaining years the vinegar is untouched, except for the occasional inspection from the maker.
Modena's climate is perfect for the development of balsamic vinegar. The cold winters slow down the concentration of flavours, while the hot summers mean plenty of evaporation, speeding up the intensity of both body and flavours.
There are various qualities of balsamic vinegar. But unlike olive oil where flavour and purity makes the difference, it is the ageing process that separates tradizionale and tradizionale extra vecchio from all other readily available balsamic vinegars and dictates price.
A vinegar aged for 12 years or more will be bottled with a white cap and called tradizionale. Vinegar that undergoes extra ageing of 25 years or more will have a gold cap and called tradizionale extra vecchio. Both must state Traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena, denomination of controlled origin (D.O.C.) on the label because this precious commodity is protected by law. A bottle of tradizionale or extra vecchio can cost you anywhere from $100 or more.
This balsamic vinegar is almost syrupy in consistency due to its concentration and has a complex aroma and flavour. Strawberries glazed with balsamic tradizionale is an incomparable treat. When I was in Italy, I had a restaurant serve me a few pieces of Grana Padano cheese drizzled with an extra vecchio balsamic. It was exquisite!
But you don't need to break the bank to get a good balsamic vinegar. You can find a bottle of generic balsamic vinegar in fine Italian grocery stores for under $10. But a word of caution - there are impostors out there that are merely regular vinegar with caramel colouring added to make it appear to be the real thing. It's recommended that you investigate the age of the balsamic you buy in order to determine its authenticity.
Vincotto is a delicious product that is reminiscent of a reduced balsamic. Vincotto is made from cooking the musts of Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera grapes which have been left to whither on the vine for 30 days. After cooking, the grape must is reduced to one fifth its original volume and left to naturally age in oak barrels for up to four years.
The Calogiuri family of southern Italy have produced Vincotto since 1825 using a closely guarded traditional recipe. This recipe is now being made available commercially thanks to Gianni Calogiuri and the latest generation of the Calogiuri family. You can find Vincotto next to balsamic vinegars in specialty Italian gourmet shops and the price is much more reasonable.
Balsamic vinegar is so good that you're often tempted to use it sparingly, but unlike other vinegars, balsamic's flavour is so concentrated that you only need to use half the quantity you would use for another type of vinegar. That's great news because one can't afford to buy a bottle too often. In salads its taste is absolutely delicious, it's also great in pasta and meat dishes, in desserts and even drizzled over fruit. In a few words it is good with everything!

Publication Date: 2002-10-06
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=1824