A Brief Summary about Traditional Balsamic Vinegar

Posted by jeenniwill on December 26th, 2016

Vinegar is a liquid which consist of water, 5-20% of acetic acid and other trace chemicals like natural or artificial flavors. Therefore, it is manufactured mild acid. It is mainly used for pickling and act as cooking ingredient. Apart from this, it has other usage like medical, domestic and industrial uses. It is usually produced by slow or fast fermentation process. 

However, vinegar can be produced from various sources and thus, has many varieties- apple cider, cane, beer, coconut, distilled, balsamic, date, honey, fruit, kiwifruit, malt, raisin, pomegranate, etc. Balsamic vinegar is the most preferred among them. It is produced by reducing cooked white Trebbiano grape juice. It also contains naturally occurring sulphites. The original balsamic vinegar is very costly.  It is highly valued by gourmet food lovers and chefs.

Uses of Balsamic Vinegar

There are many uses of balsamic vinegar. It is mainly used as condiment. It can also be used in dips, salad dressings, reductions, marinades and sauces. It is used to enhance the taste of eggs, steaks, grilled fishes, fresh fruits and vegetables. It can be used at the end of cooking to keep the cooked fresh food for a long period of time. It is even used as palette cleanser.  It is usually sold in wax sealed bottles and has their own identification number.

Balsamic vinegar is stored in cool and dark place so that the complexity of its flavors can be preserved. It should also be kept away from pungent ingredients. Balsamic vinegar does not contain any balsam. But it is curative in nature like balsam.  Balsamic vinegar is originally made in Italy. However, nowadays, it is made in different parts of the world.

Characteristics of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar

Traditional balsamic vinegar is produced from grape must which is more than 9 years old. There are mainly two types of traditional balsamic vinegar- traditional balsamic vinegar of Reggio Emilia and traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena. It is always preferred to buy traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena.

The traditional balsamic vinegar is viscous, glossy and dark brown in color. It always has a velvety texture on tongue and moves like syrup.To buy traditional balsamic vinegar, one must know the characteristics of balsamic vinegar to choose the best one.  It is full of complex and rich sweetness which explodes in the mouth with notes of molasses, figs, chocolate, prune or cherry. It also has slight smokiness and mellow tartness rather than having strong acidity.

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jeenniwill
Joined: May 4th, 2016
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