I was never an oil and vinegar girl when it came to salads. That was, of course, until I discovered the world of fine balsamic vinegars. To me, the words vinegar and tart were synonymous. But my first taste of a 25 year old balsamic changed all of that. I was shocked to taste the smooth, sweet, dark caramel colored liquid for the first time. This was a vinegar I could wrap my heart around.

Unlike other vinegars, balsamic improves with age and, at 75 years or older, can command a very steep price, costlier than a rare wine on a per-ounce basis. And, like wine, it is aged in barrels, such as acacia, ash, cherry, chestnut, juniper, mulberry, oak and walnut. Tradizionale balsamic must be aged in five of these woods, some ranging in age from 50 to 200 years old. In the provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilio, in Northern Italy (which is the only place authentic balsamic is made) it is not unusual for barrels to be passed from one generation to another. However, that is where the similarities end. Unlike wine, the “must” from the sweet, white grapes is not fermented. It is cooked slowly, over a wood fire, for hours.

In as few as 25 years ago, it was difficult to find a bottle of authentic balsamic vinegar here in the States. But by the nineties the secret was out and bottles of the good stuff were showing up in finicky cooks’ kitchens everywhere. But along with the good stuff, came those miserable imitations. Concoctions of up to ninety percent red wine or cider vinegar, with caramel color and sugar added were showing up as well. To protect the reputation and value of authentic balsamic vinegar, in 1979 a consortium was formed in Modena led by a local producer. The name “Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena” is now protected, and has been since 1983.

So, if you are in the market for the real deal, the sweet, syrupy, velvet balsamic, you will have to read some labels. For starters, there is only ONE ingredient. Grape “must”. No added vinegars, caramel coloring or sugar. Also, look for the classification of “Aceta Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena” or “Aceta Balsamico Condimento.” With the Condimento, fewer wood varieties are used in the aging process, but, otherwise, identical traditional methods are used. If you cannot find one on your supermarket’s shelf, specialty food stores or online shopping will do the trick. Be prepared to dig a little deeper into that wallet than you normally would for a bottle of vinegar. Trust me, it’s worth it. And like a fine extra virgin olive oil, a true, aged balsamic is not for cooking. Use it to “dress” your food. Cheeses, fruits and, yes, even vanilla ice cream. And, lastly, store it in a cool, dark place. Enjoy!

This article brought to you by Kathleen Fitzpatrick, proprietor of the Olive Oil Shoppe.com, purveyors of fine, artisan extra virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars.

http://www.oliveoilshoppe.com

Balsamic vinegar is the ‘wine’ of Modena, Italy. It is rich, thick, expensive and marries up beautifully with food such as steak to produce an unusual finish that greatly enhances the look and flavor of the meat.

But be warned. Not all vinegars labeled ‘balsamic’ are the real thing. In fact, most are decidedly not even though the label may insist they are. There are three things to look for on the label; either this; ‘Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena‘ or this; ‘Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale de Reggio Emilia’, plus the fermenting age which should be at least 12 years for the very best results.

With the true Modena or Reggio Emilia brands you can tell the age from the label. Both use gold labels for balsamic that has aged for 25 years or more, and you will pay accordingly.

Modena brands use red and silver labels to indicate aging of 12 and 18 years respectively, while Emillio Regio’s only other label is white, indicating an age of at least 12 years. They are expensive because the best vinegars will have gone through a seven stage fermenting process, starting with a white grape ‘must’ that is boiled until reduce by half. This must is then transferred over a period of time to a succession of barrels made from different types of wood. With each fermentation a little more of the liquid is lost, a process that is referred to as ‘the angels’ share’.

Don’t be fooled by the words ‘Aceto Balsamico di Modena’. These are meaningless and appear on bottles which are little more than ordinary wine vinegar with some coloring added. Many of them originate from areas far removed from Modena itself.

Most supermarket varieties are of this type and while they can be used in place of ordinary vinegar, they are not a suitable substitute for the real thing. You would not, for example, want to put them on strawberries. At least, not if you were then going to serve the strawberries to unsuspecting guests.

The best place by far to buy a true balsamic is an Italian deli where the owner will be more than happy to explain to you the merits of each one he stocks, giving you some idea why you need a second mortgage to buy a bottle. Well, almost. Don’t be put off by the seemingly high price. The investment is more than worth it for serious cooks and one bottle will last you a surprisingly long time.

You won’t use it as a marinade all that often and when you do, one tablespoonful is usually enough. You are much more likely to experiment with salad dressings to start with, and for those your measurements will be in teaspoons.

If you don’t have a local deli, the food hall of a department store is your next best bet or, failing even that, talk to your friendly grocer and see if you can arrange for a special order. I’ve heard of one group of keen cooks living outback who clubbed together to buy a case, which they replenish on a quarterly basis.

However you make your purchase, work out which balsamic vinegar is the best you can afford and then add $20. This is one occasion when you will truly find that it is money well spent.

Michael Sheridan – The Cool Cook – is a former head chef and an acknowledged authority and published writer on cooking matters. His website at All About Cooking contains a wealth of information, hints, tips and recipes for busy home cooks, including video based how-to guides.