What Distinguishes Balsamic Vinegar? Where Was It Invented? The Different Kinds of Balsamic Vinegars
Who doesn’t love balsamic vinegar! Whether you’re splashing some on a Caprese salad, marinating meat or vegetables before roasting or grilling, drizzling some on a bowl of strawberries or dipping warm bread in it, there’s nothing quite like it. It’s the classic combination of sweet and sour, dark brown in color and often thick and syrupy. What is balsamic vinegar and how is it made? What are its origins? What makes the most coveted balsamic vinegars in the world?
What Is Balsamic Vinegar?
Vinegar is a fermented liquid produced in a two-step process, where sugars and starches are first converted into alcohol by yeast, and then into an acetic acid through exposure to oxygen. The process can take weeks, months or even years, and commonly produces vinegar with a 5-7% acetic acid solution. Most common vinegars, such as white or distilled vinegar, are made from fermented grains, such as rice, wheat or corn.
Balsamic vinegar, a type of vinegar, is made entirely from crushed grapes, usually including skins, seeds and stems. The true Balsamic vinegar, which originated in the Modena and Reggio Emilia regions in Italy, commonly uses the Trebbiano grape (also the key ingredient in Cognac).
To make balsamic vinegar, the grapes are crushed and boiled, creating a thick syrup. The syrup is then fermented and aged for some period of time (often 12-25 years) in wooden barrels—chestnut, mulberry, oak and cherry barrels are common.
How Did Balsamic Vinegar Originate?
Though the practice of boiling or cooking grapes was known of in Ancient Greece, balsamic vinegar first became popular in the city of Modena around the beginning of the 11th century. In 1046 CE, the Holy Roman Emperor King Henry II sought a high quality vinegar for use in the kitchen at his castle. The Marquis Bonifacio of Canossa brought him some balsamic vinegar from Modena, introducing the nectar to a wider audience.
Are There Different Types of Balsamic Vinegar?
The term “aceto balsamico” is used in Italy to identify a vinegar as balsamic. Currently, though, the use of that term is unregulated. However, three types of balsamic vinegars enjoy some level of legal protection:
- Aceto Balsamico Traditionale di Modena (traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena)
- Aceto Balsamico Traditionale de Reggio Emilia (traditional balsamic vinegar of Reggio Emilia)
- Aceto Balsamic di Modena (simple balsamic vinegar of Modena)
Traditional balsamic vinegar, both in Modena and Reggio Emilia, must be cooked from grape must and must also be aged a minimum of 12 years. As a consequence, the traditional balsamic vinegars tend to be significantly more expensive.
