Story: Aceto Balsamico di Modena | 3/3

Another luxury product - right?
When you see the price, it may seem like a luxury. But what flows out of the bottle - dark, thick like syrup - is more than just a vinegar: With just a few drops, it transforms simple salads into fine dishes, adds depth and surprising flavors to roast sauces. Whether game, beef, poultry or liver - both dark and light sauces (such as for veal or poultry) benefit enormously from a real balsamic vinegar.

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Balsamic vinegar for every day - is it possible?
Many supermarket products bear the name “balsamic vinegar”, but their sharp, pungent smell gives them away: they are modified wine vinegars, dark-colored and artificially “refined”. Traditional balsamic vinegar, on the other hand, is a bit of a financial adventure - if only because of the elaborate testing and bottling by the Modena Chamber of Commerce.

But good balsamic vinegar for every day does exist. You don't find it everywhere, but it is there - often from small artisan producers, carefully made, organically grown and aged for 3-5 years. Not cheap, but worth the price.

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White balsamic vinegar - a contradiction?
Actually, there is no such thing as “white balsamic vinegar” - after all, oxidation turns the must of white grapes dark. Nevertheless, demand has led to products with this name appearing on the market. These are often white vinegars with added sugar, but sometimes they are also honest organic products made from white wine and grape must. These are usually amber-colored like dessert wines - and can be quite surprising.

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Dosage - less is more
Aceto balsamico is concentrated - so it should be used sparingly: Drop by drop, a teaspoon, a tablespoon at most. A younger balsamic vinegar is recommended for green salads, ideally 1/3 balsamic vinegar, 1/3 Aceto di Vino, 1/3 water mixed. The older varieties - thick, intense - are more suitable for cooking, refining and glazing. - Gerardo [TS04/25]