Cooking with Balsamic Vinegar

As integral to Italian gastronomy as pasta, yet as precious and difficult to produce as fine wine, aceto balsamico (balsamic vinegar) has stirred the appetites – and cured the ailments – of aristocrats, peasants and everyone in between for centuries. A gift of time, tradition and nature, its incomparable flavor brings hundreds of years of artisanship to the table, transforming even the simplest dish into a masterwork. We invite you to view our complete dinner entertaining guide filled with an authentic Italian menu and recipes and table setting ideas for a perfect evening – all inspired by this beloved gastronomic treasure! Curious about how balsamic is produced? Since Modena, Italy is just a hop, skip and jump away from Barilla's home town of Parma, let us take you on a 'tour' of one of Italy's favorite ingredients…

Flavor of the Ages
No one knows how or when aceto balsamico (balsamic vinegar) was discovered, but it is first written about in an 11th-century chronicle of the Benedictine monk Donizone. With a name derived from the Latin word balsamum – a resin used to treat wounds and relieve pain – the savory sauce was as prized for its healing properties as it was for its sensational flavors.

Though no longer considered a medical tonic, aceto balsamico tradizionale has retained its reputation as a rare and treasured jewel in the crown of Italian cuisine. Its production has changed little with modern times, and remains tied to the land through an intricate ripening and aging process passed down – and perfected – through the ages. This unique manufacturing method begins anew each year with the autumnal harvest of Lambrusco and Trebbiano grapes in the Modena or Reggio Emilia provinces. After harvest, master vinegar-makers crush the grapes, and then carefully and repeatedly heat and reduce the juice in copper cauldrons until it forms rich, sweet brown syrup known as saba, or "must." The saba is mixed with older aceto balsamico to jumpstart fermentation and the mixture is then transferred to wooden barrels for aging.

Decades worth of vinegar barrels are stored in acetaias (lofts), where fluctuating temperatures and levels of humidity allow the saba to further evaporate and develop an ever-increasing depth of flavor. As it matures and reduces, in a painstaking process that can take up to 50 years, the vinegar is repeatedly transferred to smaller and smaller barrels made of a variety of woods. Each wood imprints the vinegar with its own wonderful – and specific – stamp of flavor. Although every producer has his or her own highly-guarded theories on which woods to use at each stage of the process, young vinegar is usually placed in large mulberry barrels, and then moved to medium-sized chestnut or cherry ones. Ash or oak barrels are generally used for the final reduction. Spices including cinnamon, cloves, mace, coriander or anise are added to the blend at different stages to enhance and illuminate the vinegar's budding flavors.

Exacting Standards
Though artisans are free to customize their blends to some degree, the production of aceto balsamico tradizionale is carefully regulated by government authorities to prevent fraud and ensure a superior product. To bear the official declaration "aceto balsamico tradizionale di Modena" or "aceto balsamico tradizionale di Reggio Emilia," the vinegar must be made according to strict and exacting specifications. The product must come from only the Modena or Reggio Emilia provinces of the Emilia-Romagna region and be aged at least 12 years. The finished vinegar must then be presented to – and approved by – a consortium, which oversees and controls quality in the same way that agencies govern Italian wine production.

These restrictions, while ensuring the best vinegar possible, understandably drive the prices for aceto balsamico tradizionale sky-high. To bring its sublime flavorings to more tables, companies have begun to experiment with ways to produce balsamic vinegar at less cost, and in less time. These versions vary greatly in quality, ranging from highly palatable, affordable blends that effectively mimic the customary recipes and production methods to knock-offs made of ordinary wine vinegar doctored with caramel coloring and spices. Caveat emptor: only vinegars produced in the artisan tradition are legally permitted to bear the label aceto balsamico tradizionale.

Download a FREE Copy of the Celebrity Italian Table Cookbook in February.