Balsamic Vinegar
Discussion
davrian said:
One for the foodies! Just done a circuit and bump round Tesco and went for the Balsamic. On perusal it appeared to range from £1.99 up to £11.99 all from Modena, mostly fron the same manufacturer and all the same size. Any clues as to what the difference is?
Balsamic is like fine wine.
The more expensive ones will be made from better grapes and indeed matured for longer. maybe even in oak barrels.
that is all I know
and to be honest unless you using it on its own with olive oil to dip crusty french bread then the cheaper varities will do.
Can't find the wine smiley. davrian said:
One for the foodies! Just done a circuit and bump round Tesco and went for the Balsamic. On perusal it appeared to range from £1.99 up to £11.99 all from Modena, mostly fron the same manufacturer and all the same size. Any clues as to what the difference is?
apart from price you mean. Always go for the most expensive you can afford, for the proper stuff it has to have matured like a fine wine, preferably in oak, that takes time. £1.99 will taste rough like a crap vinegar, good quality is worth paying out for and you won't use so much. Best stuff is from Modena. of course I am speaking purely from an Italian point of view.
Zod said:
There's a huge difference between the cheapies and teh expensive ones, but is made more complicated by overpriced rubbish. THe best ones are sublime, almost syrupy-like with a flavour that goes on and on, but you wouldn't want to use one of those for salad dressing.
Dunno, I bought a random bottle the other week to see what it was all about. I've been drowning everything in it since
In fact, I probably could drink a glass at a push.
Does anyone know if you get a comedown from Balsamic?
My names Dave and I'm a Balsam-ic
They have different purposes. The cheaper stuff is quite acidic and good for salad dressings, because it has a strong flavour it can be used with other strong flavours. I get through shedloads of the stuff, mixing it with olive oil plus pumpkin seed oil or walnut oil plus garlic, sumac, and whatever else I can find.
The more expensive stuff, as others have said, has been matured longer and is sweet and more viscous. Far less acidic. It can even be used in desserts - try it with strawberries and cream for an interesting taste. You wouldn't do it with the cheaper stuff, it would taste too vinegary and curdle the cream too quickly.
Got some 9 year old stuff in Verona a couple of weeks ago, planning to use it on its own with rocket & parmesan. The shopkeeper did try to sell me his best stuff, £50 for a small bottle with the consistency of treacle. I declined as I'd already spent far too much in his shop, and £50 is getting a little daft for vinegar. However I've had the stuff in restaurants, because of the thick consistency it is used as plate decoration as well as for the incredible taste.
Finally (as far as I know) all Balsamic must be from Modena. Although I may be wrong. As I often am.
The more expensive stuff, as others have said, has been matured longer and is sweet and more viscous. Far less acidic. It can even be used in desserts - try it with strawberries and cream for an interesting taste. You wouldn't do it with the cheaper stuff, it would taste too vinegary and curdle the cream too quickly.
Got some 9 year old stuff in Verona a couple of weeks ago, planning to use it on its own with rocket & parmesan. The shopkeeper did try to sell me his best stuff, £50 for a small bottle with the consistency of treacle. I declined as I'd already spent far too much in his shop, and £50 is getting a little daft for vinegar. However I've had the stuff in restaurants, because of the thick consistency it is used as plate decoration as well as for the incredible taste.
Finally (as far as I know) all Balsamic must be from Modena. Although I may be wrong. As I often am.
O.K. Here's the gen on aceto balsamico:
The unique and traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena, Italy (Aceto Balsamico di Modena)is made from the 'must' (unfermented juice) of mainly the Trebbiano grape, other grapes used are Lambrusco, Ancellotta, Sauvignon and Sgavetta. These 'musts' cannot have anything added. The must is then boiled down in open pots over a direct flame.
The extract (concentrated juice) from this cooking is now a fruity syrup. At this point some 'mother' of vinegar can be added. ('Mother' is a stringy, slimy substance that forms on the surface of vinegar, composed of various yeast and bacteria [especially mycoderma aceti] that cause fermentation in wine and cider, and turn it into acetic acid - vinegar). It is then aged in barrels of different woods - first in one, then transferred to another etc.
Each company has its own secret progression of wooden barrels usually including chestnut, ash tree, cherry, mulberry, juniper and oak. The finished vinegar must be at least 6 years old, and some is aged much longer.
The finished vinegar is then presented to the DOC, a governing body similar to those that govern the quality of French and Italian wines. Balsamic vinegars without this designation on the label are usually unaged or aged for six months to a year in stainless steel tanks.
The really old stuff is excellent drizzled over Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and, amazingly, it's lovely with strawberries!
The unique and traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena, Italy (Aceto Balsamico di Modena)is made from the 'must' (unfermented juice) of mainly the Trebbiano grape, other grapes used are Lambrusco, Ancellotta, Sauvignon and Sgavetta. These 'musts' cannot have anything added. The must is then boiled down in open pots over a direct flame.
The extract (concentrated juice) from this cooking is now a fruity syrup. At this point some 'mother' of vinegar can be added. ('Mother' is a stringy, slimy substance that forms on the surface of vinegar, composed of various yeast and bacteria [especially mycoderma aceti] that cause fermentation in wine and cider, and turn it into acetic acid - vinegar). It is then aged in barrels of different woods - first in one, then transferred to another etc.
Each company has its own secret progression of wooden barrels usually including chestnut, ash tree, cherry, mulberry, juniper and oak. The finished vinegar must be at least 6 years old, and some is aged much longer.
The finished vinegar is then presented to the DOC, a governing body similar to those that govern the quality of French and Italian wines. Balsamic vinegars without this designation on the label are usually unaged or aged for six months to a year in stainless steel tanks.
The really old stuff is excellent drizzled over Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and, amazingly, it's lovely with strawberries!
Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff