Balsamic vinegar

What is balsamic vinegar? About the ingredient balsamic vinegar. Including 452 recipes with balsamic vinegar, nutrition data, and where to find it.

Contents

1. About
2. Nutrition facts
3. Where found
4. Food group
5. Weights & measures
6. Recipes455
7. References
8. Related

About

Balsamic vinegar is a condiment originating from Italy.

The original traditional product, made from a reduction of cooked white Trebbiano grape juice . Today, the traditional balsamic vinegar is highly valued by chefs and gourmet food lovers.

Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, an inexpensive modern imitation of the traditional product, is today widely available and much better known. This is the kind commonly used for salad dressing together with oil.

Only two consortia produce true traditional balsamic vinegar, Reggio Emilia and neighboring Modena. True balsamic vinegar is made from a reduction of pressed Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes. The resulting thick syrup, called mosto cotto in Italian, is subsequently aged for a minimum of 12 years in a battery of seven barrels of successively smaller sizes.

Traditional balsamic vinegar is produced from the juice of just-harvested white grapes (typically, Trebbiano grapes) boiled down to approximately 30% of the original volume to create a concentrate or must, which is then fermented with a slow aging process which concentrates the flavours.

The flavour intensifies over the years, with the vinegar being stored in wooden casks, becoming sweet, viscous and very concentrated. During this period, a portion evaporates: it is said that this is the "angels' share", a term also used in the production of scotch whisky, wine, and other alcoholic beverages.

Recipes using balsamic vinegar

There are 455 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 455 recipes

Created: June 17, 1999 Last updated: about 6 years ago