Balsamic Vinegar: It’s like no other vinegar. Properly aged, it is a thick, rich and mellow condiment.
Balsamic vinegar is to this north central Italian city what sourdough bread is to San Francisco. It truly is a unique product with special qualities that can’t quite be matched elsewhere. That, however, isn’t too surprising because the residents of Modena have spent hundreds of years perfecting its rich, mildly tart flavor.
What makes Modena’s legendary local vinegar so different from others? No one knows. Some attribute balsamic’s mellow tang to spores that float in the air here and nowhere else. Others contend that throughout the centuries, the vinegar “mother” or yeast that gives life to the product has softened and sweetened sublimely, producing a delightful condiment that titillates the palate. Whatever the reason, balsamic vinegar is, indeed, like no other.
Its uses are legion, and sometimes startling. A good, well-aged balsamic is much more than a flavored vinegar to be combined with oil in a salad dressing. A few drops sprinkled on fruit or, yes, even on ice cream, intensifies the natural flavors of these foods. Devotees add it to meats, poultry and fish and, of course, salads for an additional flavor boost. It is used sparingly, as a rule, as a flavor enhancer or condiment.
The older balsamics make wonderful digestives and, in Modena at least, are sometimes served as an unusual aperitif. This is because balsamic, or aceto balsamico as it’s known here, lacks the harsh, puckery bite of ordinary vinegars. In place of the sharp, sour taste most of us associate with this acidic liquid, balsamic has an almost syrupy, aromatic tang that is surprisingly pleasant to the palate. Make no mistake, however, this amber-to-dark-brown liquid definitely is a vinegar. It is supposed to have at least 6% acidity (compared to the 5% of most ordinary vinegars). It also is an acquired taste. Once acquired, however, it tends to be addictive.
True balsamic vinegar is produced only in Modena, located in the heart of Italy’s Emilia-Romagna district. And, oddly enough, except for some of the country’s more sophisticated cities, it is relatively unknown throughout most of Italy’s other regions. The story of how it originally developed has been lost through the ages. However, according to the late food historian, Waverley Root, in his book “The Food of Italy,” the earliest written mention of aceto balsamico dates back to 1046 when a barrel of the pungent liquid was given to Emperor Henry III as a coronation gift.
Aceto balsamico originally was solely a homemade product. Each family had its own bottles and barrels and formula and when ready for use, the vinegar had its own individual flavor. As might be expected, modern Modenese, who still make the vinegar at home using the same time-honored method and, in many cases, the same flavor-ingrained barrels their ancestors used, tend to consider their own personal aceto balsamico better than anyone else’s.
The actual production of this grape-based vinegar is fascinating to observe. Whether made at home or commercially, the process is basically the same.
At a small but very active factory in Modena owned and operated by Guiseppe Cattani, fresh grapes (mostly Trebbiano, although several other varieties are added to round out the flavor) are pressed to provide the basic juice or “must.” The must is cooked over low heat in huge vats in the open air for 12 hours, until reduced by half. That concentrate is then placed in large steel tanks where it rests for about six months before being transferred to chestnut and oak barrels to age for three years. After that comes the long aging-fermentation period, which can last for 50 years or more, but today usually lasts for about 10 years.
Warm, dark rooms at Cattani’s plant house row after row of mostly well-used barrels in graduated sizes from 10 liters to 90 liters. The barrels are arranged on racks on their sides, 10 to a row, with the largest at one end, the smallest at the other end. Since the vinegar is a living thing, it must have access to air as it ferments so there is a two- to three-inch opening in the top of each barrel, which is covered with a loose-fitting stone or piece of screen.
Each year, according to Cattani, a certain amount of evaporation (usually about 3/4 liter) takes place. Thus when a new batch of young balsamic has finished its initial aging period, the vinegar that has evaporated from the smallest barrel is replaced with vinegar from the barrel next to it and so on, until the largest barrel has plenty of room for the new aceto. The barrels are made of a variety of different woods, each of which adds a modicum of distinctive flavor to the end product. As the new must is added to the old barrels, the ancient spores of the vinegar’s “mother” that remain in the wood contribute their special qualities to the fermentation and aging process. Cattani uses barrels of chestnut, oak, cherry, mulberry and juniper among others.
Once the vinegar has reached the smallest barrel, it is ready for use. Part of it may be drawn off and bottled, or it may simply be transferred to another set of graduated barrels for further aging. By the time balsamic has reached the ripe, but not unusual, age of 40 years, it is wonderfully mellow and pungent. In fact it is a dark brown, almost liqueurlike syrup that tastes so good it would be a shame to do anything with it but sip it as is.
Cattani sells much of his fresh and 3-year-old must to fellow Modenese who in turn barrel and age it further to produce their own aceto balsamico at home. The balsamic he bottles for sale is sold locally only. None is exported.
In contrast to Cattani’s modern but small plant is the large Fini conglomerate, which produces an enormous variety of sausages and other cured meats and pastas in addition to aceto balsamico. It’s the Fini product that is generally credited with creating widespread interest in balsamic vinegars in America. And it took Chuck Williams, the genius behind that interest, and current chairman of the board of the Williams-Sonoma cookware stores and catalogue, to introduce it to the American public in a big way.
Recalling how his personal love affair with aceto balsamico began on a visit to Italy in 1976, Williams said: “I kept seeing that bottle in the food area of a department store in Milan, and in food stores in Florence. It didn’t look like vinegar. . . . It looked like hair tonic.” But being curious and always on the lookout for something new and interesting for his stores and catalogue, Williams asked his agent about it. The agent, obviously not a Modenese, “thought” it was a vinegar. Further inquiry brought Williams to the Fini doorstep with the result that the Fini balsamic was first offered to the American public in 1977 in the Williams-Sonoma catalogue and “took off immediately,” according to Anne Kupper, spokesperson for the cookware company. “It’s a good steady seller,” she said. “Some buy case lots and others come back for more time and again.”
Unfortunately, increased American consumer interest in this unique Italian seasoning has encouraged some Modenese exporters to bottle aceto balsamico at a much younger age. And the aging is what counts; it’s what mellows the product’s distinctive flavor. It also is what makes the vinegar more expensive than ordinary vinegars. William-Sonoma sells an 8.8-ounce bottle of Fini balsamic that is about 6 years old for $6.25, while a 12-year-old bottle, the same size, goes for $15. In Modena Fini sells the 6-year-old vinegar for about $4 and a bottle of 30-year-old aceto balsamico goes for about $35.
In Los Angeles, other balsamic vinegars ranged from $4.79 for an 8.1-ounce bottle of Duke of Modena to $14.95 for a 25.6-ounce bottle of Mazzeti d’Attavilla at various Italian specialty food shops and gourmet stores.
Because it isn’t ordinary vinegar, balsamic is a product that should be used carefully, particularly in the beginning. The very first thing to do is to simply pour a small amount into a spoon and taste it. If you’ve picked a good quality balsamic, you’ll become instantly aware of the velvety quality that accompanies its soft tang. Then you can try some experimenting.
Aficionados are not above pouring a few drops over ice cream, although that may be a little too much for the uninitiated. Instead, try sprinkling a teaspoon or so over a plain avocado and see how that tastes. And rather than mixing an oil-and-vinegar salad dressing for a simple green salad, toss the greens lightly with a good quality extra-virgin olive oil and then sprinkle on balsamic to taste.
A Personal Affinity
Once you have established your personal affinity for balsamic, you’ll be a better judge of exactly how much you want to add to various foods. Modenese sprinkle a few drops over cooked meats or fish, but Williams likes to add two to three tablespoons of the aromatic vinegar to the initial cooking liquid when he fixes a simple pot roast. He also sprinkles it over hot potato salad and many other vegetable dishes. It’s a great substitute for salt.
A small amount of balsamic also enhances most marinades when used in place of ordinary vinegars. Don’t, however, make the mistake of using the same amount as the vinegar called for in a recipe. Treat balsamic as though it were a concentrated vinegar, which in essence it is.
Still other suggestions for using balsamic include sprinkling it over a spinach salad or cold chicken. Or add a teaspoon or so to a mayonnaise dressing for chilled cooked asparagus.
And if these suggestions aren’t enough, perhaps the following recipes from Dr. Giorgio Fini, the president of Fini, will get you off to a new appreciation of this unusual vinegar.
BEEF PATTIES WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR
1/4 medium onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon oil
3 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt, pepper
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese
2 egg yolks
Saute onion in oil and 1 tablespoon butter in skillet until golden. Stir in cream and balsamic vinegar. Reduce liquid to about half, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Combine beef, grated cheese and egg yolks, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Shape into 6 patties. Cook patties to desired degree of doneness in remaining 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet. Remove to serving platter and pour warm cream sauce over to serve. Makes 6 servings.
VEAL SCALOPPINE WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR
1 1/4 pounds thin veal scallops
Flour
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, pepper
Balsamic vinegar
Pound veal slices until very thin, then dredge in flour. Heat butter and oil in skillet and brown veal, a few slices at a time, in skillet over medium heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove to warm platter and splash liberally with balsamic vinegar, turning meat to coat both sides. Makes about 4 to 6 servings.
CHEESE SALAD
1/2 pound Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese, cut into slivers
1 sweet red pepper, roasted, peeled and cut into strips
2 tablespoons chopped green olives
1 cup diced celery hearts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt, pepper
Toss together cheese, red pepper, olives and celery. Add oil and vinegar and toss to coat lightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Note: Cheese Salad can be served as relish for chicken or broiled meats, if preferred.
MIXED SALAD
1/2 pound romaine lettuce, torn into pieces
5 or 6 radishes, sliced
1/2 cup diced celery hearts
1 small fennel bulb, sliced thin
1/4 pound Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese, grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt
Combine romaine, radishes, celery and fennel in large salad bowl. Add cheese and toss. Sprinkle with oil and vinegar and toss to coat lightly. Season to taste with salt. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
STRAWBERRIES BALSAMICO
1 pint strawberries
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Rinse and stem strawberries. Halve berries if they are large. Place in serving dish and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar. Let stand 15 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and toss gently. Serve at once. Makes 4 to 5 servings.