Balsamic Vinegar Primer

I frequently call for "good" balsamic vinegar in recipes, such as my Sausage & Cranberry Bean Risotto the other day - its mildly sweet, acidic bite is a nice foil to rich dishes - and I thought it was worth discussing the meaning of "good" balsamic.  There are basically two categories of balsamic - true, traditional balsamic and balsamic condiment.  Both come from Modena, Italy (part of the Emilia Romagna region, in central northern Italy)  Most basically, balsamic vinegar is made from the juice of wine grapes.  The juice is boiled until reduced - concentrating the sugar - and is then aged in a series of different barrels, each made from a different type of wood (such as oak, juniper, and cherry) and each progressively smaller.  The barrels are subjected to extreme weather conditions which cause the sugars to concentrate and amino acids to react and form "aroma molecules more commonly found in roasted and browned foods," (Harold McGee's On Food & Cooking).  As the vinegar evaporates in the barrel, it is replenished with vinegar from the next youngest barrel.  The finished product comes from the oldest barrel, and true, traditional balsamic vinegar must average 12 years in barrel.  This labor-intensive process, and the fact that it takes somewhere around 70 pounds of grapes to produce 1 cup of vinegar, means true traditional balsamic comes with a very high price tag.  Always.  There's simply no way around it.  You can expect to pay over $30 an ounce for the traditional classification.  This kind of balsamic should be used sparingly, drop by drop, over strawberries, chunks of good Parmesan cheese, and even over ice cream.  It's cost makes it prohibitive for most people, and this is why, when I talk about "good balsamic," I am talking about good balsamic condiment.

The balsamic condiment category, used in everyday cooking, is less labor-intensive than the traditional balsamic category; the vinegar is aged for less time, has less viscosity, the flavor has less character, and most of what you find is completely awful.  There is simply no cheap balsamic vinegar which is worth consuming.  Its only possible usage is to be cooked down to a syrup, but even that is shady and should only be done in a pinch, or when the balsamic is added during cooking for an acid balance, rather than to shine on its own. 

For our kitchen, the cheapest option I use is Giusti balsamic condiment.  The Giusti house is hundreds of years old and still uses traditional methods to make their balsamics, and they have a large range of good-quality, well-made products all the way from 4 year ($11) balsamic condiments to traditional, 12 year balsamics (around $80).  Their 6 Year Balsamic condiment (pictured above) runs around $13 and can be purchased locally at Carfagna's on 161 and at a few of the vendors in the North Market.  It makes a great drizzling balsamic without breaking the bank, has a good viscosity considering its youth, and has a nice, rich balsamic flavor.  Traditional balsamics can also be purchase at Carfagna's as well as Pastaria Seconda in the North Market.

I am not trying to be a snob here, but there is simply no place for grocery store brands of factory-produced balsamic vinegar.  You might as well skip the step rather than use a cheap imitation which is made with red wine vinegar enhanced with sugar and caramel color. 

I hope this helped dispel some of the mystery surrounding balsamic vinegar.  In addition to the local sources I've mentioned, Amazon has a great selection of Giusti Balsamic Productsas well.