About Gourmet Vinegar
_________________Balsamic vinegar is a traditional condiment made from a reduction of cooked, un-fermented grape juice which is aged in wooden barrels. To ensure the authenticity of your vinegar, look for the words "Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale," because true balsamic vinegar comes from the Italian province of Emilia Romagna, with the towns of Modena and Reggio Emilia being the epicenters of production. In the traditional method of production, white grapes are boiled into dark syrup and then aged in attics in wooden barrels with a vinegar mother. The attic location exposes the vinegar to the the dry heat of summer aiding in concentration, and the cold of winter in sedimentation and clarification. In the strictest process, the vinegar begins in wooden barrels, then as it ages and concentrates, it is put into successively smaller barrels made of different woods which impart their characteristics to the vinegar: Chestnut, Cherrywood, Ash, Mulberry, Acacia, Juniper, and Oak. An artisanal process of topping off the vinegar from the next barrel up is performed annually by a master vinegar maker. The aging process takes at least twelve years; the finest balsamic vinegars are aged 100 years or more. Due to this "topping off" process, a vinegar maker's last barrel would contain the oldest vinegar, perhaps from two or three generations previous, forming a tangible link with the ancestral family heritage. It is traditional for a family to put up a barrel when a baby is born, then serve the resulting balsamic vinegar on the child’s 21st birthday. In addition, barrels of balsamic vinegar were often given as dowries in the Emilia Romagna region. The wooden barrels themselves are valuable heirlooms, passed on through the centuries and generations.
Less expensive condiment grades of balsamic vinegar exist, although these don't feature the approved labeling. Sometimes they are simply not aged for the full twelve years, or are un-aged wine vinegars with the grape juice reduction added. They may also be traditionally made, but outside of the two approved regions. We offer balsamic vinegars that have been aged for anywhere from eight to 100 years, in addition to the versatile cream of balsamic vinegar, which is thick so that it does not drip from foods.
Although balsamic vinegar has been used throughout the ages in it's native Italy, it is only since the late 20th century that it has gained fame in the United States. Much like olive oil, it was originally intended as balm for everything from childbirth to indigestion to snakebites, thus the term balsamic. It was also considered to be an aphrodisiac. This versatile condiment is not only delicious when paired with oil to dress a salad, but is also complimentary to cheese, fresh fruit, and even steak or fish. Aged versions are sometimes taken in a tiny glass as a digestif after a meal. Balsamic vinegar has a complex flavor that balances sweet and sour to bring out the best in your foods. Generally, tradizionales are not cooked for fear of diminishing a flavor that was ages in the making. Instead it is added at the end of cooking, just to heat through, or drizzled onto a meal. For simmered sauces or marinades that are to be heated, the condiment grade balsamic vinegars are used.
Related to balsamic vinegar is the condiment saba reale, which begins with the same cooked down grape must that balsamic vinegar does, but rather than a short cooking and a long aging, the grape must for saba reale is cooked for a longer time period – as long as 30 hours - then aged perhaps for two or three years. Sometimes it is not aged at all, since cooking the grape must down condenses the sweetness; the short aging period adds complexity. In the south of Italy, saba is called vino cotto, or cooked wine, and it was traditionally a sweetener used by the poor when sugar was unaffordable. It is used in much the same way as balsamic vinegar for vegetables, soup, rice, ice cream, or cheese. It can be used as a drink when diluted with still or sparkling water. We feature not only the classic vino cotto, but fig, apple, pear, plum, and even black truffle vino cotto. Our product line also includes some very distinctive wine vinegars. Wine vinegar is the most commonly used vinegar in the Mediterranean countries, in contrast to the US, which favors white. The finer wine vinegars are often wood-aged for up to two years and tend to have a lower acidity than white or apple cider vinegars. We stock both red and white wine vinegars, in addition to Spanish sherry vinegar.
We also carry the uniquely Italian condiment, colatura di acciughe, or "syrup of anchovies." From the Campania region, it is a byproduct of the anchovy curing process, which takes up to five months. It is considered a protected ingredient by Slow Food International, as not very much is produced. Colatura has its origins in Ancient Rome and is a rich, salty condiment used most commonly to flavor pasta dishes. It can also be interchanged with fish sauce in Asian cuisines.
If balsamic vinegar on its own is not complex enough to meet your needs, we also have truffle-flavored balsamic vinegar – with either black or white truffles – for an even more intense burst of flavor.
CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SPECIFIC PRODUCTS AND THEIR RICH HISTORY:
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PASTA | OLIVE OIL | VINEGARS | FISH & SEAFOOD | VEGETABLES | MUSHROOMS
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