🥃 Traditional balsamic vinegar
A thick aged vinegar from Modena or Reggio Emilia made only from cooked must.
Traditional balsamic vinegar is a thick, dark and sweet aged vinegar from the Italian cities of Modena and Reggio Emilia. It is made from a single raw material: cooked grape must. No wine vinegar, colouring or sugar is added.
The must is boiled over an open fire until it becomes thick and dark. It is then moved into a row of small barrels of different sizes made from different woods: oak, chestnut, cherry, juniper and mulberry. In the barrels the must slowly ferments, turns partly to vinegar and thickens. Every year some liquid is moved from barrel to smaller barrel, and new must is added to the largest one.
The ageing period is at least 12 years, and for the extravecchio category at least 25 years. The yield is tiny: the taste is complex, sweet and sour, and so it is sold in small bottles.
Do not confuse it with ordinary balsamic vinegar from the shop: that is made more simply and faster. Traditional balsamic is a product of grapes, so it ties to Italian wine and to grape products.
How it connects to Wine
🥃 Traditional balsamic vinegar → made in → 🗺️ Italian wine → kind of → 🗺️ Wines of Europe → kind of → 🍷 Wine
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- 🥃 Balsamic vinegar
- Where it is made
- 🗺️ Italian wine
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Frequently asked questions
What is traditional balsamic vinegar made from?
Only cooked grape must, with no wine vinegar, colouring or sugar added.
How long is traditional balsamic aged?
At least 12 years, and extravecchio at least 25 years.
How does it differ from ordinary balsamic vinegar?
It is made only from must and ages long in a row of barrels, while ordinary vinegar is made more simply and quickly.
Similar
🥃 Saba (sapa) · 🥃 Grappa · 🥃 Balsamic vinegar · 🥃 Verjuice · 🥃 Wine vinegar
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.