Cooking Index - Cooking Recipes & IdeasBalsamic vinegar in our A-Z (Page 2) - Cooking Index

Balsamic vinegar

Balsamic vinegar is an Italian vinegar traditionally made in Modena, a region in Emilia Romagna. It is usually dark brown and has a thick, syrupy texture. It improves with ageing and the very best balsamic vinegars are aged for 25 years or more, at which point they are often very sweet and have a complex taste more akin to a desert wine. Some Italian restaurants will even serve a small glass of balsamic vinegar with certain desserts, most often fresh strawberries.

Many grape varieties can be used to create balsamic vinegar but the Trebbiano grape is the most common. White grapes and their juices are boiled down until they become a thick syrup. The syrup is then placed in a wooden barrel to age, the best vinegars are left for up to 25 years to mature. The more commercial process involves just a few months maturing in a steel barrel.

Balsamic vinegar has a reputation for being very expensive and the very best vinegars are phenomenally expensive (as much as $300 for a 250ml bottle). Supermarkets now stock much cheaper balsamic vinegars and they bare little resemblance to the expensive versions. The most expensive vinegars taste like a fine wine or liqueur.

'Real' balsamic vinegar only comes from two sources - Modena (Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena) and Regfio Emilia (Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale de Reggio Emilia).

Balsamic vinegar is used in everything from salad dressings to a background flavour in stews to a simple dressing for meat and fish. Generally speaking, the younger vinegars will be used in Italy for salad dressings while the better, older vinegars will be used as simple dressings for meat and fish. Vinegars between five and ten years old are often used to add extra flavors to pasta dishes or meat stews.

Balsamic vinegar established a reputation as a ‘trendy’ ingredient in the 1980s and many chefs are over-eager to drizzle their dishes with low grade balsamic vinegar.

Another good way to enjoy top quality balsamic vinegar is with the best quality parmesan.

Relevant Recipes for Balsamic vinegar

Recipe Names

  1. No recipes found

Recipe Ingredients

  1. Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp With Rosemary And Stilton
  2. Baked Flounder With Peppers And Tomatoes
  3. Baked Halibut On A Bed Of Peppers
  4. Baked Onion And Apple Soup
  5. Baked Onion Fans (1 PT)
  6. Baked Salmon Topped With Warm Cherry Tomato Salad
  7. Baked Sweet Potatoes Stuffed With Cranberries, Pears, Pecans
  8. Baked Sweet Red Onions
  9. Balsamic And Tomato Bruschetta
  10. Balsamic Barbecued Chicken With Garlic, Rosemary And Sage
  11. Balsamic Basting Sauce
  12. Balsamic Beef And Vegetable Kebabs
  13. Balsamic Berry Mustard
  14. Balsamic Braised Winter Greens
  15. Balsamic Cherry Sauce
  16. Balsamic Chicken
  17. Balsamic Chicken And Pears
  18. Balsamic Chicken Cutlet Over Spinach Salad With Mushrooms
  19. Balsamic Dressing
  20. Balsamic Flank Steak
  21. Balsamic Glazed Chicken
  22. Balsamic Glazed Chicken With Grilled Treviso
  23. Balsamic Glazed Chicken With Treviso
  24. Balsamic Glazed Grilled Plums With Vanilla Ice Cream
  25. Balsamic Glazed Strawberries Over Ice Cream
  26. Balsamic Glazed Sweet And Sour Onions
  27. Balsamic Glazed Vegetables
  28. Balsamic Marinade For Goat Cheese
  29. Balsamic Marinade For Grilled Vegetables
  30. Balsamic Marinated White Beans
  31. Balsamic Onion And Cheese Picks
  32. Balsamic Pasta Salad
  33. Balsamic Peppered Chicken
  34. Balsamic Poached Veal With Roasted Garlic Sauce
  35. Balsamic Pork with Mixed-Herb Brush (5.5 points)
  36. Balsamic Potato Salad
  37. Balsamic Roast Chicken
  38. Balsamic Roast Pork Tenderloins
  39. Balsamic Roasted Chicken With Peppers And Onions
  40. Balsamic Roasted Onions
  41. Balsamic Shrimp And Asparagus Salad
  42. Balsamic Steak
  43. Balsamic Strawberries
  44. Balsamic Syrup
  45. Balsamic Veggie Kabobs
  46. Balsamic Vinaigrette
  47. Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing From Brook Dojny
  48. Balsamic Vinegar Chicken With Almond Peppers
  49. Balsamic-Braised Sugar Snap Peas
  50. Balsamic-Glazed Strawberries Over Ice Cream