Say “vinegar,” and lips pucker. But say “balsamic” and a rich, velvety, sweet-and-sour harmonious flavor comes to mind.
Balsamic vinegars are not all created equal. In fact, what many consumers know and refer to as balsamic vinegar in this country bears no resemblance to the real, authentic article.
“In my experience, when people first experience true balsamic vinegar (aceto balsamico tradizionale), they are astonished,” said Mannie Berk, president of the Rare Wine Co. in Sonoma, one of largest U.S. importers of real balsamico. “It doesn’t taste like vinegar–it is so sweet and rich that the vinegar component is almost lost.”
According to Italian law, tradizionale (traditional) or extra-vecchio tradizionale (extra-old traditional) aceto balsamico must be produced in the northern provinces of Modena or Reggio Emilia in the region of Emilia-Romagna. It’s created from the cooked-down juices of white Trebbiano or other grape varieties and aged 12 to 25 years or longer (becoming thicker and more intense with age) in different-size wooden barrels following a centuries-old tradition.
True balsamics bear either the Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena or Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia label and range in price from $55 to $400 or more for a small bottle.
With American cooks’ increased interest in and demand for balsamic vinegar since the early 1980s, mass-produced imitations have become common on supermarket and specialty store shelves. Prices and quality vary greatly.
(The Good Eating staff tasted 10 supermarket brands; see the results on page 3.)
“Commercial balsamic vinegar may or may not be aged or may or may not contain artificial caramel color or flavor,” note the editors of Cook’s Illustrated magazine in “The Best Recipe Italian Classics.” Some are nothing more than caramel-colored red wine vinegar. And some are produced in the U.S., not Italy.
Although it’s recommended that consumers check labels–and avoid any with artificial ingredients–often the contents won’t be disclosed on the label because Italian law dictates that balsamic vinegar of Modena is itself considered an ingredient and product, so no further description is necessary, point out the Cook’s Illustrated editors. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires only that the label identify whether or not the product contains sulfites.
Italians use traditional aged balsamic sparingly as a condiment or seasoning to finish a dish.
A few drops might be sprinkled over grilled or roasted meats, strawberries or vanilla gelato or drizzled over chunks of aged Parmigiano-Reggiano.
“Italians don’t cook with it,” said Meesha Halm, author of “The Balsamic Vinegar Cookbook.” But Halm does cook with less-expensive, good-quality commercial balsamics. “I am treating balsamic as a cooking liquid [like vinegar] that has both sweetness and sourness. It offers an earthy depth, a sweetness, piquancy and added zing to dishes that you wouldn’t get from regular vinegar or regular brown sauce.”
“Some chefs recommend creating a substitute for traditional balsamic vinegar by reducing Aceto Balsamico di Modena over high heat until quite thick and sometimes adding brown sugar,” writes Pamela Sheldon Johns, author of “Balsamico! A Balsamic Vinegar Cookbook.” “However, it must be good quality and contain little or no wine vinegar.”
Ari Weinzweig, author of “Zingerman’s Guide to Good Eating” (Houghton Mifflin,$19.95), suggests in his book to look for products from Italy labeled condimento or salsa (sauce), products which he describes as “full-flavored with much of the mellow smoothness and sweet-sour character that make balsamic such a hit.”
The best of them use 100 percent grape must, he writes. Producers generally keep the price down by cutting corners in the production, instead of with the ingredients.
Tommaso Barletta, chef/owner of Tuscany Restaurant in Westlake Village, Calif., uses vin cotto (cooked wine) as an alternative to inexpensive balsamic vinegar: “It’s reminiscent of good aged balsamic.”
To make it, cook down a bottle of syrah, zinfandel or amarone wine with some roasted fresh mission figs (for sweetness) and a whole clove in a heavy saucepan over low heat until the mixture is reduced by half and reaches a syrupy consistency; this will take about an hour.
After cooling and straining (save and reuse the figs), Barletta drizzles it over a salad of baby greens, roasted beet wedges, goat cheese and candied pecans or on wedges of grilled radicchio. He also brushes it on grilled vegetables or uses it to make a glaze (heat with a few shallots and reduce it) for beef or game.
Parmesan-crusted asparagus with balsamic vinegar
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Balsamic vinegar is often sprinkled over thin wedges of Parmigiano-Reggiano, another of Emilia-Romagna’s prized delicacies, or served as a dip for cooked asparagus. This warm appetizer combines both ideas. From “The Balsamic Vinegar Cookbook,” by Meesha Halm.
1 pound thin asparagus spears, tough stems snapped off
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 ounce Parmesan cheese curls (shaved off a chunk of cheese with peeler)
Freshly ground pepper
Balsamic vinegar
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place asparagus in a single layer on a nonstick baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss well, coating asparagus completely. Spread Parmesan curls over top half of asparagus spears.
2. Bake in the top third of the oven until cheese is melted and asparagus is barely tender, 12-15 minutes. Season with pepper. Transfer asparagus to warm plates. Serve with a cruet of balsamic vinegar, allowing guests to sprinkle asparagus with vinegar to taste.
Nutrition information per serving:
76 calories, 65% of calories from fat, 6 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 6 mg cholesterol, 3 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, 138 mg sodium, 1 g fiber
Sweet-onion marmalade
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 55 minutes
Yield: 2 cups
This not-too-sweet condiment complements grilled meats, chicken and salmon, and is terrific as a topping for pizza. It can be prepared up to one week ahead, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving. From “The Balsamic Vinegar Cookbook,” by Meesha Halm.
1 tablespoon each: unsalted butter, vegetable oil
3 red onions, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick half moons
1/2 cup dry red vermouth or dry red wine
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon each: fresh rosemary, thyme, chopped or 1 1/2 teaspoon each, dried
1. Heat butter and oil over medium heat in a medium, heavy-bottomed, non-reactive saucepan. Add onions and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes, until softened. Add vermouth, brown sugar, salt and pepper; heat to a boil. (If using dried herbs, add now.) Reduce heat to medium-low; cover. Simmer until onions are very tender, about 40 minutes.
2. Add vinegar and rosemary and thyme (if using fresh herbs). Increase heat to high; cook, uncovered, stirring often, until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 3-5 minutes. Cool to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition information per 1 tablespoon serving:
19 calories, 37% of calories from fat, 1 g fat, 0.3 g saturated fat, 1 mg cholesterol, 3 g carbohydrates, 0.1 g protein, 38 mg sodium, 0.2 g fiber
