tradtional balsamic vinegar from modena, italy

[elakin]

hi all

i recently visited an acetaia, where they make the famous aceto balsamico tradizionale di modena. it's really a pretty amazing and complex process, and the end result is incredible. really a world of difference between the real stuff and just your everyday balsamic vinegar. it's worth the hunt and the price to taste the difference.

i wrote an article about it for an online magazine called im-ur. here's the link if you'd like to learn more:
http://www.im-ur.com/site/readopinion.asp?id=76747&catid=703&CatTree=7;703&u serid=14124

we bought a bottle of 12 yr. old tradizionale at the acetaia for around $40 (100ml). pricey! but so good. tonight we had vanilla gelato with fresh strawberries and a drizzle of the tradizionale. i honestly never thought this sounded good, but it's truly a revelation!

[ March 28, 2001: Message edited by: elakin ]

[Anneke]

How lucky you are Eddie! You just can't beat true balsamic. I received a really good stock a few years ago as a gift. I used part of it to make a strawberry-balsamic compote with crushed black pepper. It was awesome! I also like it with chunks of Parmesan, though I know it's a bit decadent. Hope you manage to collect a few good bottles while you're there!

[momoreg]

mmmmmm....nothing like an old balsamic. I tried to find your article.. what page is it on?

[cape chef]

One of my favorite ways to use my aged balsimico,is to charr a prime sirlion,season with grey salt and fresh pepper,just before it comes off the grill lay whole basil leaves over the steak,a thin slice of beefsteak over that and then a nice wedge of gorgonzola. just let the cheese warm and soften..pop it on a plate and using a demi tasse spoon nape with the vinager.just to **** good
cc

[shroomgirl]

yummmm....sounds like a steak salad I used to make with steak, gorgonzolla or blue, red onions, red grapes and basalmic dressing....
I've had ok stuff but not the 25+ year old stuff....it's on my list.
dessert sounded lucious eddie.

[Isa]

A local chef adviced if you can not aford very old balsamic vinegar buy a cheap one and let it reduced by about half on low heat.

[Pooh]

WOW, Cape chef, can't wait to try this one.

Thanks for sharing!

Hi Iza..

I do that all the time.. I call it balsamic syrup.sometimes I add a little suger.
I'm doing eggplant and marinated goat cheese towers tonight with the syrup.I sometimes add fresh citrus juices during the reduction.
Wonderful on grilled salmon with toasted cous cous.
capechef

[Isa]

CC,

I never thought of putting it on fish or vegetables. I will give it a try.


Thanks!

[Nick.Shu]

one seemingly favourite of customers seems to be:

salad of marinated mediterranean vegetables, shaved parmesan, rocket (arugula), warmed goats cheese ravioli with a balsamic vinegar and rosemary infused dressing.

[elakin]

hi everyone and thanks for the replies

momoreg, the article is in the "food and Drink" magazine, and it's entitled "a link to the past in italy." hope you find it.

i've worked in lots of places where we just used regular balsamic and reduced it. it's good. but i had never tasted the real deal until now. a world of difference. you need so much less vinegar...it is such a strong flavor! the reduction is good, but not a replacement for the real thing...just something different.

so far we've just been using ours to drizzle on things: we wrapped parm-regg in prosciutto and drizzled, on chunks of gorgonzola, on fresh strawberries... seems like we're using it a lot, but we haven't even made a dent in the little bottle. it comes with a small dropper top that pours it very slowly...drop by drop. otherwise, we'd probably be halfway thru it by now...

[shroomgirl]

I've used white basalmic....didn't impress me, I've not read about Italy producing it...thought it was a marketing ploy.

A standard buffet dish is grilled veg with basalmic dressing....rosemary and basil garnish

I've seen a menu with 25 yr old basalmic
Phoenican I believe, other than that I've not seen the good stuff in restaurants.

Hi Eddie...

I could not agree with you more.
There is nothing like the real deal..
It is almost sexual
I have made a marscapone and aged balsamic stuffing for roasted quials with shaved fennel and cardoons that was yummy.
The reduction gives people the oppurtunity to explore the different applications of the vinager. Eddie, have you come across white balsamic?
Cape chef

[cape chef]

Hi Shroomgirl..

I agree with you about the White version.
I have tasted it and it has very little body and is to sweet.The last time I had aged balsamic in a restaurant was when I was studying with madeleine Kamman in Napa,We went to Tra vinga for dinner and Michael came to talk with us and brought with him a 25 and 50 year old for us to taste, It really was quite amazing as you can imagine.
Shroom ,I'm happy you had a good time in the windy city!
cc

[elakin]

capechef do you have two personas on here? you are also bradchef?

i haven't seen or heard of white balsamic. i don't think it's italian, because i haven't seen it here, and believe me when i say i've explored the gourmet-type shops throroughly. it's definitely not from modena.

has anyone gone to check out my article? i get points according to how many readers i get, so go look people!! it's at www.im-ur.com under the food and drink section. entitled "a link to the past in italy."

capechef, your post about the steak with gorgonzola gave me a taste for steak...haven't had any for a while. i think i'm gonna try that combo soon.

has anyone else used the aged balsamic for desserts or cheese course? it works so well for this. i'm a big fan of the cheese course and if a restaurant broke out a drizzle of a tradizionale for me, i'd be very impressed by this. when i was working at tru, we had a 50-year old and a 100-year old in the kitchen, but they weren't used that i can remember. for our everyday stuff, we reduced regular balsamic.

the other night i took pear slices, three-step breaded them, and fried them, then wrapped them in proscuitto and drizzled with the tradizionale. yum. i'm waiting for melons to come into season, so we can do prosciutto and melon with it....