Balsamic vinegar

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Eight year old balsamic vinegar

Aceto balsamico or balsamic vinegar is a vinegar from the Italian province of Modena or the province of Reggio Emilia . It is characterized by a dark brown color and a sweet and sour taste. The name refers to the fragrant character (balm means "fragrance") of this vinegar.

In the case of balsamic vinegar, a distinction must be made between the traditionally produced “Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena” and the mass product “Aceto Balsamico di Modena”.

Production of "Balsamico Tradizionale"

Storage in wooden barrels
Types of wood for the different barrels
Drop by drop

The must of late harvested (white) Trebbiano or Lambrusco grapes is thickened by boiling, so that only about 30–70% remains. Five other white wine grape varieties are allowed . There is no alcoholic fermentation . The syrup is filtered and a portion of balsamic vinegar that is at least ten years old and a portion of 12% fresh wine added to it for fermentation. The product is then stored in different wooden barrels for several months. This process takes many years, and the vinegar becomes more concentrated as the water evaporates in the wooden barrel. The older the vinegar, the thicker it becomes. The different types of wood and the fermentation give the balsamic vinegar its peculiar taste and color. The order of the wood types (oak, chestnut, bird cherry, ash and mulberry) plays an important role. There must always be air in the barrels, and the barrels are exposed to strong temperature fluctuations when they are stored in attics: The great heat in summer ensures further reduction, and the cold in winter precipitates cloudy substances. A portion of the older vinegar is always added to the younger one. Due to this recirculation and the years of thickening, only a relatively small amount remains in the end (the longer the storage period, the smaller the amount).

The bacterial culture (the so-called: the manufacturing process of genuine balsamic is very susceptible to interference madre dell'aceto , vinegar mother ' are), which is responsible for fermentation, by insects or by infection with other bacteria destroyed. The production of the balsamic vinegar can be interrupted for a longer period of time, as all infected barrels have to be emptied and sterilized.

Legal requirements

The specifications come from the "entry of a designation in the list of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications (Aceto Balsamico di Modena ( PGI ))"

  • The acid content must be at least six percent; this acid may only come from wine and not from other vegetable raw materials.
  • Only caramel is allowed as an additive to stabilize the color.
  • The production described above may only take place in the provinces of Modena or Reggio Emilia. Bottling, however, can also take place elsewhere.
  • A maturation period of at least 60 days is required.
  • Aceto balsamico Tradizionale di Modena may only be made from concentrated grape juice. The grapes for this may only come from the two regions mentioned.

Sales denominations

Balsamic vinegar of Modena

The EU community symbol for products with a protected geographical indication (PGI).

Balsamic vinegar is often sold in supermarkets, which is similar to the “Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena”, but is a mixture of ordinary wine vinegar with concentrated grape must, in many cases colored brown with caramel ; With better varieties, a small amount of real "Balsamico Tradizionale" is added. The term Aceto Balsamico di Modena is a "Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)".

The term "balsamic vinegar" is not protected and can be used by any vinegar manufacturer. The name “Aceto Balsamico di Modena” may also be used by manufacturers from the province of Reggio Emilia , the name “Aceto Balsamico di Reggio Emilia” does not exist. Vinegars with the name Aceto Balsamico without the addition “di Modena” are also sold, which is legally permissible according to a judgment of the European Court of Justice .

Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale

The Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale (ABT) may only be made from the boiled down must of white grapes - predominantly of the Trebbiano and Sauvignon varieties. No preservatives or colorings are added. Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale must mature for at least twelve years; after at least 25 years of barrel aging, it can be labeled “extra vecchio”.

Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena / Reggio Emilia

"Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena" (ABTM) and "Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia" (ABT di RE) are protected designations of origin and must therefore be produced in the region concerned and according to the rules laid down there.

For "Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena / Reggio Emilia", the same requirements for maturing time apply as for the ABT. It may only be sold if a consortium of manufacturers in Modena has approved the sale after strict quality and taste tests. The long-matured varieties are relatively expensive, as the current balsamic boom could not be foreseen 25 years ago. So it happens that a 12-year-old Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale costs around 50 euros per 100 ml in stores, and one over 25 years old costs around 100 euros. The characteristic bottle shape designed by Giugiaro and a yellow-reddish capsule represent the 12-year-old, a gold capsule for the 25-year-old balsamic vinegar. The Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia is available in three qualities; as over 12 years old (red label), as over 18 years old (silver label) and as over 25 years old Aceto (gold label).

Mark

High-quality "Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena" can be recognized by its rich black. It should taste pleasantly penetrating and intensely aromatic. When swirled in a glass, it coats the inside of the glass like syrup.

use

In combination with olive oil, salt and pepper, balsamic vinegar creates a fine vinaigrette for salads. Because of the high price, the "Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena" is usually used very sparingly: a few sprinkles of it over fresh strawberries or Parmesan are considered a delicacy. A famous recipe in Modena and the surrounding area is beef fillet in balsamic sauce . Balsamic vinegar is also used to make marinades .

For some years now, the fashion has been spreading to drink high-quality balsamic vinegar undiluted as a non-alcoholic aperitif or digestif .

similar products

  • Condimento bianco (English: "White wort"): It is made from white wine vinegar and grape must concentrate and keeps its light color because it is thickened at lower temperatures. It therefore does not color the seasoned dishes dark.
  • Crema di balsamico: A cream that is often used to decorate plates or dishes. It contains thickeners and / or other additives and is therefore not pure balsamic vinegar .

literature

  • Vittorio Cavazzuti: Aceto Balsamico - balsamic vinegar. From the noble seasoning from grape must. Translated by Bianca Röhle. Flechsig, Würzburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-88189-644-3 .
  • Roberto Gandini: Il balsamico nella storia. In: Civiltà della Tavola (2011), No. 223, p. 24.
  • Paolo Giudici, Federico Lemmetti, Stefano Mazza: Balsamic Vinegars. Tradition, technology, trade. Springer, Cham et al. 2015, ISBN 978-3-319-13757-5 .

Web links

Commons : Aceto balsamico  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Wiktionary: Balsamic vinegar  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Regulation (EC) No. 583/2009 of the Commission
  2. ↑ See also the correction of recital 10 of Regulation (EC) No. 583/2009 . In: Official Journal of the European Union . L 207, August 11, 2009, p. 15.
  3. ↑ ECJ judgment on balsamic vinegar: Alles Essig on taz.de, from December 4, 2019, accessed on December 5, 2019