Balsamic Vinegar

Balsamic vinegar is very popular worldwide but it originates from Italy. Modena and Reggio Emilia are the two specific areas in Italy where this type of vinegar is linked to.

The climate of these regions are quite special: summers are very hot but the winters are bitter cold and there is a vast  differences between the two seasons.

This climate is important for the grape must in order to ferment and maturate according to the traditional methods.

Balsamic vinegar does not contain any balsam. The term balsamic derives from the Latin word “balsamum” and from the Greek word “βάλσαμον”. They mean “restorative”, “curative”.

Balsamic vinegar of Modena and Traditional balsamic vinegar of Reggio Emilia are both protected by the “Protected designation of origin of the European Unit”: how balsamic vinegar is produced and aged is regulated in each aspect.

The consortia are two: the first one is the “Consortium for the protection of traditional balsamic vinegar from Reggio Emilia”, the other one is the “Consortium for protection of balsamic vinegar of Modena” which has been founded in 2013 when the “Consortium for protection of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena” and the “Consorzio Filiera Aceto Balsamico di Modena” decided to join together.

When people speak of balsamic vinegar they mostly speak of the balsamic vinegar of Modena, which is not the traditional one. Balsamic vinegar of Modena is made with different proportions of cooked must and wine vinegar, while wine vinegar is absolutely forbidden in the traditional balsamic vinegar.

You can use Aceto balsamico for salads, as a condiment, also for meat, fish, cheese and in recent times it has even used on desserts and fruits as strawberries, peaches or tropical fruits.

Balsamic vinegar can be used in addition at the end of cooking or as an ingredient for the dishes. It has a good flavor with both hot and cold dishes.