Balsamic Vinegar

Balsamic vinegar or aceto balsamico in Italian is yet another Italian treat that has traveled its way throughout the world. A drizzle of balsamic can turn any dish from bland to flavorsome.

Sansone Market offers and produces authentic and traditional Dalila family products. For example, Dalila’s traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena, balsamic glaze, and more. These balsamic products are a tangy topping to any salad and the perfect dip to your favorite sandwich.

History of Balsamic Vinegar

The first reference to balsamic vinegar dates back to 1046. Balsamic started to develop in the regions of Modena and Reggio Emilia. The tale goes that someone gave a bottle of balsamic vinegar to Emperor Enrico III of Franconia as a gift. In the middle ages, people used balsamic as a cure as well. People considered balsamic vinegar as a miracle cure. People used it to cure everything from sore throats to labor pains.

How Balsamic Vinegar is Made

Balsamic vinegar goes through a very exact and delicate lifecycle. You make balsamic from white sweet grapes like Trebbiano grapes or Spergola grapes. Trebbiano grapes are for red balsamic and Spergola grapes for white sauvignon. The grapes cook very slowly in copper cauldrons over an open flame. You place the “must” – known as sapa – into wooden barrels when the water content reduces to 50%. You then add an older balsamic to assist in the acetification.

Balsamic vinegar matures for a number of years. Each year they place the vinegar into different wooden barrels. The variety of woods they use with the barrels is oak, cherry, chestnut, mulberry, and ash. Each barrel made from different wood gives the vinegar a specific flavor. The age of the vinegar is divided into three stages. Young is 3-5 years of maturation, middle-aged is 6 to 12 years and highly prized is 12 to up to 150 years.

When to Use It

Balsamic vinegar is a product that can be used in a variety of ways. For example, you can use it as a salad dressing accompanied by olive oil. Furthermore, you can drizzle it on top of your favorite dishes or use it as a garnish.

Sansone Market has many recipes that include or can incorporate Balsamic Vinegar. For example, Sansone’s Burrata Salad recipe which includes a drizzle of Balsamic. However, Balsamic is very versatile. You can make Sansone’s Crescenza-Stracchino Pizza recipe your own and drizzle it on top. Further, you can add it to Sansone’s Chicken Sandwich recipe for a tangy touch.

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Every part of Italian cuisine serves a purpose. Balsamic vinegar gives dishes the perfect touch they need to stand out. Sansone Market offers its customers a selection of balsamic and recipes to use it in. However, because it is so versatile, you can make balsamic your own in almost any dish.